A Legend is remade
by Ebanu8
Summary: Killed in a car accident whilst saving a young child, Kiryu is transported into a world of fantasy, somehow as a younger woman. With no recollection of the woman's memories and stranded in unfamiliar territory, he must learn how to live a new life in this new home of his. Yet even in this new world, he must contend with whatever challenge life throws his way, even if he hates it.
1. New life

**A/N: I know you've been expecting an update for Warlords of Remnant or Ken's new life, but after watching so much Yakuza on Youtube, I decided I can't wait anymore. Just so you know, this fanfic will be one of those 'Person in another world' stories, and it will have a lot of original content. Moreover, this will be done in first-person POV for the most part.**

 **With that out of the way, enjoy.**

 **Chapter I: New life**

A lone man lay bleeding on the streets of Nagusa, blood painting the asphalt red from the injuries he had sustained.

Kiryu Kazuma, the legendary Dragon of Dojima, lay dying as a result of a car accident, himself being the victim from trying to save a lone toddler from certain death. The young child went onto the street with the red light on, chasing after a ball that rolled along the pedestrian crossing. Through his mother's startled cry and a car's horn blaring loudly, he managed to rescue him in time as he held him tightly.

Then the car hit, and he briefly lost consciousness.

His eyes opened to see the child covered in blood, yet he was wailing loudly, a sign he was alive and unharmed. Around him, some frantically called for an ambulance, whilst the child's mother quickly rushed to grab her child.

"... Thank... goodness..." Were his last words, before he breathed his last.

IIOII

My eyes felt damned heavy, and I felt as if I slept through a damned hangover. Waking up, I found myself in a rather strange-looking wooden hut of sorts. That's strange, wasn't I in an accident in Nagusa? Why aren't I in the hospital then?

Looking around, it seems the hut was built with functionality in mind; single fireplace, spartan-looking furniture, fish hanging on the eave, deer and bear heads on display, this definitely wasn't what you'd normally see in any home in Japan. Wherever I ended up, this was definitely not somewhere in the big city.

I saw an elderly man tending to a pot heating over the fire, and he looked like a foreigner of sorts, maybe from someplace called Germany, if his features were any indication; grey hair tied in braids, piercing, steely blue eyes, and an overall facial expression of one who had seen his fair share of hardship. Not surprising, considering his rough-looking features and toned body beneath that clothing of his.

I've never seen anyone wearing a thick pelt of fur over his back, though, or his clothing. It resembled something like a shirt and long trousers, yet strangely enough, there was strange-looking embroidery adorning them. It seemed rather tribal in nature, definitely not Japanese-styled, that's for sure. And his face... not to mean any offense, but who paints their face with such strange patterns in this day and age? An actor, maybe? Or someone with a serious condition of long-term chuunibyou? I actually hope it's the former.

"Aye, I see y're awake," Said the man, his words rough and unpolished, "Ya got a nasty hit to the 'ead, but ye're alive at least. So what brings a fine lassie like ya 'ere? No place for a princess like ya."

His words were in a foreign language, yet somehow, I could understand him. What was going on, exactly? And did he call me 'lassie'?

"Lassie?" I asked, then I stopped myself short.

My voice somehow sounded like that of a woman's, and when I looked at myself...

"What the hell...?" I mumbled, dumbstruck at my situation, "Jii-san, do you have a mirror or anything?"

"Hmm? What ya need it fer?" Asked the old man in confusion.

"Just please tell me if you have one," I repeated.

"One moment..." Said the old man as he rummaged through his belongings.

It was not long before he gave me a hand mirror of sorts; the glass seemed marred with dust and smudges, but it was clear enough for me to see my reflection. And once I saw it, I knew something was indeed very wrong.

I had become a woman. Goodness, of all the ridiculous things that could have happened to me, I somehow had my gender changed, and I was looking nothing like my old self.

By the looks of it, a teenage one, maybe somewhere between sixteen to eighteen. My shoulder-length hair was a bright platinum, and was a complete and utter mess. And where I used to have dark brown eyes, now they were an icy blue. Wrapped around my forehead was a small bandage, perhaps an injury sustained before I wound up in the old man's hut.

I remained dumbstruck for a few minutes, my mind taking quite some time to absorb all this as I stared open-mouthed at my reflection, before the old man harrumphing got my attention.

"If yer done gapin' at yer face, why not tell me why yer 'ere of all places?" Asked the old man impatiently.

Why was I here? How should I reply to that question? Whoever this girl was, she must have had some memories of her own before I ended up... inhabiting it. Come on... what was she doing before-

"Argh!"

A sudden wave of pain flashed through my head, as if I was having an aneurysm. I clutched my head, trying to soothe the pain in some way.

"Head still hurts, eh?" Asked the old man, "Hate to sound naggy, but do you honestly remember anythin'?"

I shook my head; my attempt to regain my memories have ended up causing me this damn headache, so I might as well be as honest as possible. No sense alienating who might be my only friend in... wherever I am.

"No, I don't," I said.

"Really?" The old man asked, as if I was somehow hiding something.

I shook my head.

The old man sighed, nodding in acceptance of my answer.

"I s'posse it can't be helped," Said the old man, "By the way, name's Gabriel. Yours?"

Maybe using my real name won't hurt, at least for now.

"Kiryu Kazuma," I said, causing the old man to raise an eyebrow.

"What sorta name's that? Ain't yer typical Alsacian name fer sure," He said.

"Alsacian?" I asked.

"What? Ain't ya from Alsace? Ya certainly look it," Said Gabriel.

"I apologise, but I have no idea what you just said," I replied, genuinely confused by his words, "Where am I? And what is this 'Alsace' place?"

Gabriel rubbed his head in annoyance, and as he sighed, he said, "Y're really hopeless, ain't ya?"

IIOII

The year was 1871 AS(Athilan Standard), according to the calendar, the tenth year of the reign of His Majesty King Sigmar IV von Franz of the House of Eibenförde, the 12th King of Orso.

From what I could gather from old man Gabriel, I was current residing in a small, remote hunting village right in the heart of the Savant Mountains in the Kingdom of Orso. From the map old Man Gabriel gave me of the world I was in, Orso's size was relatively small, at least in comparison to the neighbouring Empire - supposedly the country this woman hailed from. One way to look at it would be comparing the Empire as America to Orso as Germany and France combined, I suppose.

Said Kingdom happened to have heated border disputes with Alsace as of now, and with many opportunistic Alsacian nobles trying to instigate all-out war with the Kingdom so they could annex Orso by less-than honourable means, things have not been safe along the borders, forcing any travelling along the border to hire large, expensive escorts to ensure their own safety. Few ever dared to wander off the heavily patrolled pathways, much less go someplace as isolated as this village. No wonder the old man was so suspicious of me, a foreigner, who somehow ended up here.

Regarding the Imperial nobles, he told me with no small measure of spite how they hired mercenaries to pose as bandits and cause chaos in the countryside, forcing the Royal Army to stretch itself thin trying to pacify the rife banditry. Compounding their troubles were the infighting between the nobles of the Royal Court, who somehow had higher priorities in securing their power base than focusing on the larger threat.

As for King Sigmar, he had remained non-committal to any faction save the one loyal to him, the Royalists, but from what I heard, he has done very little to turn his country's situation around, either because he was powerless against the nobles or that he simply didn't care for his job at all. One would think that ten years would have been enough time for him to do some significant things, but I suppose some Kings can be good-for-nothing slackers.

"You're quite well-informed about these things, old man," I said.

"Well, I hafta go sellin' my goods in town every now and then, 'n exchange fer food and other stuff e'vry now and then, and I go drinkin' at the tavern quite often, plenty o' opportunities to pick up gossip here and there," He explained, "But enough 'bout me, what 'bout you? Ya ain't got no clue where ta go, yeah?"

I nodded in response.

Gabriel sighed again, maybe for the third time now, before saying, "Well, I ain't one fer charity, but ye're in no condition to work either, so I suggest gettin' sleep fer now. Tomorrow, you'll learn how to hunt."

I nodded, and I laid back in bed as I placed the blanket over myself. It wasn't very comfortable, but it'll have to do. Tomorrow's the beginning of my training, so I might as well get sleep wherever possible.

IIOII

"Yer aim's off. Again," Said the old man.

It's been an hour or so since I started training in archery, and quite frankly, this thing's way more difficult than it looks. Not only do I have to draw the bowstring in the correct way, it's quite difficult to pull the string as well. Granted, I'm fairly strong, but it seems my new body's not. Guess I'll have to exercise later; unless I can master the basics of hunting - archery being one of them - the old man won't allow me to leave.

And the reason why? A ferocious bear named Waldmörder had been terrorising the nearby villages for nine years now. Massive with brown fur, he was easily identifiable by its missing right eye and the long vertical scar across it. It had killed no fewer than two hundred hunters all this time, so it's no surprise the hunters are cautious whenever they go to the wilds to hunt for food.

The bow I'm using is a training bow of plain steel, quite difficult to fire with due to how taut the bowstring was. I thought it would be made of wood, but I'm guessing since it's a fantasy world of sorts - not unlike in the stories those fantasy authors churn out, so it's normal for them.

With another arrow missing my mark, the old man called to me and said, "We're stoppin' 'ere for now. Get some rest and put some ointment on those blistered fingers of yours, can't be drawin' bowstrings with fingers like that."

True enough, my fingers were aching with pain, bearing rather large blisters. I obliged and put down the bow, going back into the hut to find the small container of ointment the old man stashed inside. The ointment was a translucent green of sorts, maybe mixed from several greenish herbs. I applied it and waited as I rested my hands. In the meantime, the old man went to preparing our lunch, a simple pot of venison stew with a few vegetables mixed in. I would have helped with the cooking if I could help it, but my fingers were in no condition to hold any utensils.

As the stew was boiling, I decided to ask Gabriel, "Jii-san, why do you hunt Waldmörder?"

The old man was silent, not a single word uttered in response.

I decided to press the issue and said, "The other villagers said you've been hunting that bear for nine years now. That's an exceptionally long time spent pursuing one beast, and with him being as dangerous as they say, no amount of money or satisfaction would be enough to keep up the pursuit for so long. If it is not too difficult to ask, what is your reason for hunting it?"

Again, the old man was silent, refusing to answer my question.

I sighed, and said, "If you don't want to answer, that's fine by me. Just be careful you don't get yourself killed."

Neither of us said anymore since then, the muffled howling of the outside wind and the slow bubbling of boiling stew the only sounds that constituted the monotony of the atmosphere. The pain in my hands had faded somewhat, the ointment doing its trick, though they still hurt.

The old man broke the silence as he said, "Fingers hurt?"

I nodded wordlessly.

"First timers in archery always hafta deal wit' that," He said, "I was no exception; fingers hurt like hell first time I trained, just had ta toughen it out 'till I got used to it."

A small smile crossed my lips.

"The first time's usually difficult to get used to, eh?" I mumbled to myself.

"Ya say somethin'?" Asked Gabriel.

I chuckled slightly at that, saying, "No, it's nothing. Don't mind me."

Gabrel stood up, opening the lid as he inspected the pot's contents, before nodding with satisfaction. Taking a ladle and some other utensils, he scooped out two bowls of stew and passed one to me, before giving me a wooden spoon. The thin stew emitted a fragrant aroma, which immediately whetted my appetite. Wiping my hands, I placed my hands together and bowed my head, giving thanks to the food before I dug in.

It tasted rather gamey, but in this blasted cold, I daresay it was as tasty as a well-made bowl of tonkotsu ramen. The warmth coursed through my body, and I was truly thankful for the food offered to me. Within moments, I finished my portion, and again I gave my thanks for the food, earning a confused look from old man Gabriel. Not being the talkative type, though, he merely grunted and went back to eating.

"Your hands alright?" He asked, to which I nodded.

"Good. Trainin' resumes soon, so make sure yer ready," He said, "I ain't gonna allow no slackin' from you."

"I understand, Jii-san," I replied.

I can't say I'm overly enthusiastic about living a new life, but I suppose one thing to expect from life is that you can never fully expect what would happen next. I wonder though, just how dangerous is Waldmörder that so many skilled hunters were killed by him? Just what should I expect when I actually encounter him? And why is old man Gabriel so determined to hunt him down?

I'll just have to wait and see for that matter, and I hope he doesn't do anything stupid. For my sake and the village's.


	2. Kill or die, Part I

**Chapter II: Kill or die, part I**

Two weeks passed since then, time I spent improving my physical fitness and my archery skills. I have to admit, I still can't get used to the blasted cold in this place, and I daresay it was as cold as Russia, or maybe Scandinavia for that matter. The old man was also quite adamant I learn how to fight with an axe and hunting knife, the latter for skinning whatever prey I might catch in my hunting trips.

And today, the old man was taking me on my first hunting trip in the mountains. My hunting gear consisted of a bow of some palish-blue metal called Orsi Winter Steel, along with an axe and knife. My winter clothes were fairly warm in this cold weather, though I could still feel the wind stinging my face.

"Alright, today you're gonna learn how t'kill some wildlife in these'er mountains," Said Gabriel, "Deer're most common 'round these parts, easy to find a pack here and there. For now we'll stick close to the river and the foot o'the mountain. No need fer'a rookie to die too young up at the top."

"Got it, old man," I nodded.

The trip was fairly short, though it was damn cold trudging through the snow-blanketed ground, could feel it even through my boots.

Old man Gabriel then held up a hand, signalling for me to stop. The reason why was the small pack of deer sighted not far from our position, even through the heavy snowfall.

"Most hunters'd aim for the heart fer a clean kill, but since y'a rookie, y'ought to aim fer the head," Gabriel explained, "Crouch low and slowly creep forward. Once y'er in range, take aim and take care not to miss, else y'll scare away t'deer."

I nodded, then did as he said.

 _Crouch low and creep forward,_ I repeated in my mind, taking care to make as minimal noise as possible. Once I could see the deer clearly, I drew my bow and aimed an arrow, squinting for a more accurate aim.

My breaths slowed, and my focus was directed solely on the prey before me.

And I released the bowstring.

A satisfying thud and one of the deer falling in the snow meant my aim was true, and as the other deer scattered I and old man Gabriel went forward to inspect the kill. The deer lay motionless, my arrow protruding from its head where its brain most likely was.

Gabriel nodded in satisfaction at this, saying, "Nice clean shot t'the 'ead. Not bad, f'yer first time."

I knelt down in the snow, looking at the deer. I felt nothing for the dead deer, yet when I think about where our venison comes from, it's strangely terrifying that hunters like Gabriel - like _me_ \- have to kill these otherwise harmless animals to get the meat we eat. But I suppose that's also another reason to be thankful to the prey that die for us, and the mountain that serves as their home; with their deaths, we had meat to eat, and pelts and other things to sell for a living.

Old man Gabriel beckoned me over nearer to him, nearer to the corpse. He asked me to take out my hunting knife and positioned it right at the deer's underbelly.

"Insert it slowly n'gently," He said, guiding my hand, "Then glide yer knife across its underbelly. Take care not ta damage t'organs inside, they're good fer makin' some more money if we sell'em in good shape."

The sight of the deer being butchered by my hands was quite gruesome indeed, and if it were anyone else, they'd probably not want to eat meat for a while. But in my time as a yakuza, I've seen plenty of people die in front of me, plenty of blood being spilled, though never anyone dying by my hands. As such, I wasn't really perturbed by the sight of the butchered deer.

It took a bit of time, but we eventually got a nice yield of venison, organs and a nicely preserved deer pelt. We also got a pair of deer antlers, which the old man said could be used as reagents in alchemy, or as weapon material, so they should sell for quite a tidy sum.

We went a bit further in, and after snagging another deer and keeping the loot in a bag, old man Gabriel decided that the yield was enough for today, so we descended the mountain back towards the village.

A loud, distant roar sounded in the distance, followed by a loud scream, stopping us in our tracks as we inspected our surroundings. Damn, I never knew animals could roar this loudly. I was wary of what was coming our way, but old man Gabriel had a strangely relaxed look, not as if he was unafraid of the potential danger, but the look of one about to discard his life in order to combat it.

Damn, this was almost like that time with Yuta, and I had to knock sense into him before he could stupidly throw away his life for Haruto's and Haruka's sake.

"Kiryu, back t'the village. Now," He firmly said, drawing his bow.

"Don't be stupid, old man," I said, "You're not ditching me that easily. Besides, whoever's there might need help getting to safety."

Gabriel grunted in annoyance, though he said, "Don't think Waldmörder's n'easy target, so no heroics or anythin' o'the like, got it?"

I nodded, and we quickly rushed towards where the roars originated from. Chances are, whoever screamed might be done for, but I'm hoping that's not the case.

We soon came within sight of the source of the roars: Waldmörder. It was a massive behemoth of a black bear, easily twice my height when standing up. Beneath him was a young man, though it was hard to make out his features with the killer bear looming over him and the strong winds obscuring my vision.

Neither I nor Gabriel needed to say any words before we sprung into action; we shot arrows at the bear's head, drawing its attention to us.

And when the bear was rushing towards us, damn was that thing fast; he charged straight towards us, and despite our arrows pelting his body, they did little to stop him from coming towards us.

That's when I felt myself being pushed away. I turned around to see Gabriel being hit by the bear, his chest already bleeding heavily.

In an attempt to save him, I took my axe and swung it against the bear, and to my horror, the bear was just as fast to face me, swinging his claws full-force at me. Before I could effectively dodge his attacks, Waldmörder managed to land a solid hit, crushing my axe's handle into splinters and scratching against my face.

I grunted in pain, and then found Waldmörder facing me, domineeringly standing above me. By logical sense, I should run from the beast to preserve my life, but the old man and that young man were both injured, and if I can't at least fend him off, they were done for.

Steeling myself, I raised my hands in a defensive stance, preparing to slug it out with the damn beast. Bear or not, he won't hurt Gabriel or the man on my watch.

"...No... Don't do it, girl," Said Gabriel, his voice subdued, "You can't..."

"Wait right there, Jii-san," I said, "This won't take long."

Ignoring his protests, I reared my fist, and struck the bear right in its face with full force, sending it staggering backwards.

Waldmörder was definitely pissed at me as he directed his furious gaze at me. Good, at least he's distracted from the others now.

"Monster or not, I'm taking you down," I said, "So come on! Come at me!"

In response to my provocations, he charged right at me. He raised his claws, I raised my fists, and we landed our blows on each other. So began our fistfight.

IIOII

Elsewhere in the forest, a lone animal heard the loud roars sounding from the distance, and it peeked its head in alarm at that. Since before history was first recorded, the mountain was his birthplace and home, and it had been so for millennia, long before those Humans and even other animals came to this place. The Humans may be wary of him, even the Elves and Dwarves and other creatures due to the power and strength he possessed, but he cared not about them; so long as they left him alone, he would leave them be, in turn.

He heard loud roars sound in the distance, and he recognised the source of them all too well. Waldmörder was at it again, he seems, attacking those hunters in the mountains.

Yet aside from the bear's roars, he could hear shouting as well, shouting that belonged to Human voices. From the different pitches and natures of them, he identified them as that of a man and a woman, maybe another in the distance.

Out of curiosity, he decided to see who was provoking the bear's wrath this time. Not that it would be any different than the previous times hunters tried to kill it.

 _What in the name of...?_ He wondered, not expecting the sight before him.

Before him were a women protecting two injured men, Waldmörder being the aggressor against them. What the woman fought with was what caught his attention; instead of using weapons as any hunter logically would, this woman was using her bare fists and legs! By all that was holy, who could ever far fighting wild animals with just hands and legs?

And yet, defying normal expectations, this woman was not only causing Waldmörder to stagger, she was even managing to hold her own.

Any intervention the animal might have considered was rendered unnecessary once the outcome was clear - one he was pleasantly surprised at. Waldmörder stepped backwards and slowly crept away from the Humans, before melting away deep into the mountains.

 _Well, well, this is quite the interesting turn of events,_ He thought as he observed, _And the girl is mostly unscathed as well, quite the extraordinary feat for a mortal Human._

The lacerations on her face were oozing blood, but there were a lack of injuries on her body as well, thanks to her quick reflexes. To worsen her and her companions' troubles, however, the winter winds grew stronger, a raging blizzard threatening to envelop them in an eternal slumber should they fail to find shelter. Shortly after, the woman, too, fell unconscious, despite her attempts to stay awake.

"...No... not now..." She said in a pained, shaky voice, "I... can't fall asleep here..."

Were it any other day, he would leave the Humans to die in the snow-capped mountains without a second thought. Such beings were not worth his concern.

Admittedly, however, the woman stirred his interest with her earlier display, and with how long she managed to last against that bear, he felt it would be a waste for her to die. Perhaps he could talk with her, learn more about her and talk about the source of her strength. His opinion regarding the other two men did not change, but he felt if he saved them as well, at least she would be more willing to talk and not react out of fear.

The scent of one of the men soon drew his attention, and he saw that one of them was not a Human, but an Elf. And judging by how peculiar it felt to his nose, a High Elf.

 _That's strange,_ He thought, _No High Elf has ever set foot in these lands since two millennia ago. Why is he here, then? Is he an exile? A wanderer?_

Whatever the case was, he would have to ask him later.

Letting the mana flow through his veins, a glowing bluish light engulfed the four of them, and they vanished into thin air, the teleportation spell performing its intended function.

Historians would later record this as the time of Kiryu's first encounter with the ancient dweller of the Savant Mountains, the King of the Fenrir Wolves.

IIOII

 _A platinum-haired young girl tread through the dazzling halls of the marble structure she was in, the decor amazing her with its constant sparkle; the polished marble giving a fresh finish, the translucent stained glass windows creating a kaleidoscope of coloured light, the huge size of the structure creating a feeling of amazement by how imposing it felt, causing her to feel like a small critter dwelling in a forest._

 _The castle was partly the cause of her excitement, however, for she and her family were invited as guests to the castle, as guests of the Royal Family._

 _Today was an auspicious day, for it was the Crown Prince's tenth birthday, and all the prominent noble families were invited to celebrate. For many of them, it was a chance to boost their prestige by forming closer relations with the young boy of a prince, so as to gain favour with the crown when he became King. For the young girl, however, she did not care about such things._

 _Her attire consisted of a dress of blue gossamer, made from the finest silks by her family's seamstress._

 _She currently walked around the banquet hall, where the nobles were busy feasting and making merry with their family members, all adorning smiles on their faces. Approaching her was a tall, elderly man, who carried himself with grace and dignity. Wearing an immaculate black and white tuxedo suit, he was the epitome of a refined servant of the nobles, who never failed to cater to their needs. This man, she knew very well._

 _"Sebas!" The young girl called out, gaining the butler's attention._

 _"Ah, my lady,_ _" He said with a kind, caring smile, "What seems to be the matter?"_

 _"It's amazing!" She said with glee, "All of it is amazing! Are all celebrations in the capital like this?"_

 _The butler chuckled slightly, saying, "Well, I suppose so. All royal celebrations tend to be merry, lavish affairs, because the nobles expect nothing less but the finest standards of service from the royal family's servants, and because today is a very important day as well. If it were anything less, it wouldn't reflect well on the royal family, would it?"_

 _"I don't think so," She concluded, "But does that mean we'll be coming back here every year as well? Will we get to experience the same thing again?"_

 _"Yes, my lady. Without fail," He said, bringing a smile to the girl's face._

 _The girl then saw two other people approach her, a man and a woman, both she recognised. With a large smile she waved to them, saying, "Father! Mother!"_

 _Running over to them, she was quick to embrace her mother, her small arms only managing to encircle part of her waist. Like her, her mother was a platinum-haired, svelte beauty of a noblewoman, with bright, alluring icy blue eyes capable of captivating any man, and facial features befitting of a woman of great refinement. Her hair was tied in a bun, secured by an expensive, ornately crafted golden hairpin, and her apparel consisted of a dress of a maroon gossamer, replete with embroidery made from silver-coloured thread._

 _Her father, on the other hand, was a more stern persona, his stoical appearance showing little change in emotion. With slicked back warm brown hair and hard emerald eyes, and his near-constant stoical expression, he was easily recognised as a no-nonsense man who took his work seriously. His apparel was a chestnut brown vest worn over a white tunic and black breeches, with polished brown leather boots and a silver cape draped over his right shoulder._

 _At the sight of his daughter, his stoical facade broke as a small smile crossed his lips, and he went to gently pat his young daughter's head._

 _"Good girl, Esmeralda," Said the girl's mother, "Are you enjoying your time here?"_

 _"I am!" She jovially said, "All of it is so amazing! The palace's design, the dazzling lights, the various people gathered here, and-"_

 _"No need to ramble, girl. We understand," Said his father, a kind, gentle tone in his words._

 _"May I all have your attention please?" Shouted a single voice, young and male in nature._

 _The speaker was a young boy, no older than ten, dressed in a black dress uniform. He was easily identifiable by his spiky golden brown hair and sparkling eyes of red, and his height easily made him dwarfed by most of the celebrations' attendants. Standing next to him was a giant of a man, dressed in a bluish-white dress uniform, with black polished boots and a yellow cape draped over his left shoulder. Dangling from his hip was a double-edged broadsword, his hand naturally resting on the plain steel pommel._

 _"I thank you all for attending my tenth birthday celebration!" The boy said, "I am well aware that some of you may be uneasy about the situation of the Empire, and that you may wish to reproach me - the Emperor's only son - as to what is being done in regards to the situation at hand."_

 _Though the mood slightly dampened at those words, the young prince continued, "For years, relations with our neighbours have soured considerably, with some seeing the Empire as nothing more than a corrupt state on the brink of dissolution; for years, it has been plagued with a stagnant economy, rampant instability, and roaming bandits pillaging the countryside!"_

 _Esmeralda's father looked on with rapt attention as the prince spoke, his hard gaze capable of penetrating steel._

 _"With my father, the Emperor, bedridden by sickness and unable to perform his duties, it is understandable you may doubt my capabilities and that of the ruling Regent Lord, Duke Richard Fredrick Belmont, in ruling the Empire in his stead. I speak now to reassure you, that we are more than capable of bringing the Empire forward! That no matter what challenge fate may array before us, we shall prevail! As our forebears have for hundreds of years! Long live the Empire!"_

 _The crowd erupted into applause, his inspiring speech eliciting a reaction of relief and certainty. Unconsciously, Esmeralda also found herself clapping, though strangely enough, her parents did not do likewise._

 _Curious about the reaction of her parents, the young girl asked, "What's wrong? Why aren't you clapping like the others?"_

 _The father was first to answer, saying, "Despite what the prince may say, I highly doubt he'll make much progress actually steering the Empire in the right direction, even with Duke Richard's help."  
_

 _"But why?" She asked, "The prince seems like a good person."_

 _"It's not that simple when there are the responsibilities of a ruler to consider," Said the father, "It's easy to say you'll bring the country towards a brighter future, but the duty of doing so is far harder in practice. I've seen many fail at such a task, either because they lacked the vision or were brought down by internal politics?"_

 _"Internal politics? How so?" Asked Esmeralda._

 _"Listen carefully, Esmeralda," Said her mother, "The world of politics is a complicated affair, often filled with deceit and lies. Some claiming to be your friend may be looking to hurt you behind your back, and it is difficult to find friends there. Often, the nobles are involved in politics simply for their own benefit, and not the people's or the country's."_

 _"It sounds scary," Esmeralda said, frowning deeply._

 _"I wish it wasn't, Esmeralda," Her mother said, "But at the same time, I'd rather not lie about such things, especially when you'll have to enter politics when you come of age."_

 _"But..."_

 _"Don't worry, girl," Said her father, "We'll be there for you when you stumble, and to protect you. Always."_

IIOII

I groggily opened my eyes, slowly awakening from the strange dream I had. That dream though, was it just a dream?

No... it wasn't just any plain dream. For some reason, I could feel a sense of emotional attachment to it. Those two people, the ones that I - this woman - called Mother and Father, did I just get a flashback of her real parents? Did I just relive part of her memories?

And that memory, somehow it held great significance for Esmeralda, for _me._ Was it because it was the first time she met that boy, the one called the Crown Prince of Alsace? Did she have feelings for this guy? Forget that for now, the old man and that guy, are they alright? But where was I? I'm definitely somewhere sheltered from those cold winds, that's for sure. It seems I'm in a sort of cave, the presence of snow being minimal. Even so, however, it was strangely warm for someplace nestled in the cold mountains, as indicated by the lack of ice stalactites hanging overhead.

"Ah, you are awake. 'Tis good."

What the hell? Who was that? I turned around and saw a wolf approaching me, and by instinct I stood up and prepared to fight if things got ugly.

The wolf in question was rather massive, for lack of a better word, easily larger than that bear Waldmörder. It was a mass of snowy white fur, plenty of tribal-like black markings running along its face and body. And those amber eyes of his, they reflected the gaze of one who possessed power, both in the literal and authoritative sense. And it might just be a hunch of mine, but they seem to also show interest in me, but for what reason?

"Who are you?" I asked, maintaining my caution around him.

It seemed amused by my reaction, a slight chortle escaping its maw before saying, "Relax, I am not here to slay you, if that is what you are wondering. In fact, 'twas I who rescued you when you collapsed in the snow. I must admit, 'tis rare to see a mortal Human surviving an encounter with a ferocious beast such as Waldmörder."

Huh, so I was rescued by this wolf who could apparently talk like a normal Human. That's not something you'd see every day. And his voice clearly sounds male, so it's a he. Wait a minute...

"If you're wondering about your companions, they rest over there," Said the wolf, "I took the liberty of healing their wounds, so they are alive, though they have yet to regain consciousness. Your belongings are safe as well, just so you know."

Surely enough, both the old man and that other guy were sleeping soundly on sheets of linen. When I went over to inspect their condition, though, their wasn't any blood leaking out of where their injuries should be, as if they weren't even injured in the first place. How the hell did this wolf heal them, though? It definitely wasn't through first aid - at least the type I'm used to, since there weren't any bandages wrapped on them. Maybe it was through magic, that would make sense; that village shaman always had the ability to heal rather serious-looking injuries through waving that glowing light from his hands.

At least jii-san was fine, and that other guy. I went over to look at him, and... the hell?

First thing I noticed about him was that he's tall. I mean like really tall, easily taller than old man Gabriel and me. He also had rather smooth, porcelain skin, like a woman's, not something I'd normally see in guys, not even transvestites. He's also got silken smooth-looking golden hair and slender, chiseled features, and a rather well-toned body. The most obvious thing that struck me as strange, however, were his ears. They were pointy, and after gently feeling them, I realised they were real.

As for his clothing, or what would more appropriately be called armour, was lying at a nearby spot next to the wall, and the breastplate looked badly damaged, by the looks of it.

Was I really looking at an Elf? Like, the mythical, long-lived, wise people skilled in magic, just like those Elves portrayed in those mangas and western movies I saw?

Whatever the case, this just raised some new questions for me: Who was this guy, and what the hell was he doing here?

"You have any idea who this guy is?" I asked the wolf.

"'Tis what I would like to know, girl," Said the wolf, "I am in the dark as much as you as to his cause for being here. If there is one thing I can discern, 'tis that he was not in the mountains to hunt game."

"Really?" I said.

The wolf nodded, saying, "Look at his armour and weapons. Do they resemble hunting equipment to you?"

Now that he mentions it, I decided to look at his belongings and inspect them in closer detail. Getting a good look at it, the wolf was making sense. For one thing, hunters never wore metal armour for hunting.

Neither did he come wearing any winter clothing, by the looks of things. No warm pelts or furs, not even a thick cloak to protect from the wind. Strangely enough, though, he didn't show any signs of being frostbitten.

"Moreover, when I treated the Elf's wounds, he bore not only injuries from Waldmörder; other wounds and lacerations were found throughout his body."

"Maybe someone was chasing him, and he was trying to escape his pursuers," I suggested, "That might be why he got those other injuries you spoke of."

"Plausible, though by the time you fended off Waldmörder, there was no sign of anyone else other than you three," Said the wolf, "Perhaps his pursuers thought him dead or incapable of surviving the harsh landscape, and left him alone. That is not to say his presence will not draw attention, however."

"Why do you say that?" I asked, wondering about the Elf's significance.

The wolf snorted as he gave me an incredulous look, saying, "Have you no knowledge of the High Elves?"

I shook my head, and the wolf shot me a dumbfounded look, saying, "How is it that you know not of the High Elves? True, not many encounter them at all, but 'tis common knowledge that they exist and are a people of the world of Athil! Hast thou become senile at such an early age!?"

"I assure you, I'm perfectly sane, and my mind's in proper working order," I said, slightly irritated at the wolf's tone, "I just got hit in the head someplace else, and I lost my memory as a result. So do forgive me if I forget certain things that are considered common knowledge by others."

"Amnesia, you say?" The wolf said, "Well, enough of that for now. As for why his being here is a concern, 'tis simply because no High Elf has ever ventured outside of their homeland of Tirathil for centuries now, as far as I am aware."

"So no one's around here's seen any High Elves roaming around?" I asked.

"Yes, and their attitude towards the other races has been less than cordial," Said the wolf, "They are a prideful people, have always considered themselves the superior race, with their so-called wisdom accumulated as a result of their long lives and highly advanced magical arts, and think of the other races as nothing more than backward primitives. They think their homeland is impervious to invasions by foreign powers, and that their high walls can withstand any assault, no matter the enemy."

"Honestly?"

"Yes, Human. That is their general mindset. For him to be here, however, so far from home..."

"Whatever the case, I suppose we'll find out the full story from him once he wakes up," I said.

"That is true. However, you shall find your path home to be obstructed."

I looked at the cave's entrance, and surely enough I found the way out to be blocked by a heap of snow, which somehow did not enter the cave due to whatever invisible wall was blocking it. From outside, I could hear the howling winds increasing in intensity, and I could hardly even see a single speck of life outside. Damn, it's worse than I thought. Guess going home will have to wait.

"You may rest in my cave for a time, but do not think of it as charity," Said the wolf as he lay down, "I am merely loaning use of my cave to you for a time."

"I understand, um..." I said, "What's your name?"

The wolf snorted, saying, "I have no name. I never bothered with one. But what about yours?"

"Kiryu. Kiryu Kazuma," I said.

"A strange name, indeed," Said the wolf, "But I will bother not with any more chatter, so I suggest you do not bother me whilst I rest."

I nodded, and I eventually sat down against the cave wall. I didn't feel sleepy, though, so I settled for doing some push-ups and other exercises to pass the time.

I'm just wondering how much longer the blizzard's going to last, though. The old man and I were supposed to be back in the village by now, and the others are probably worried about our absence. Nothing I can do right now, except wait for better weather.

Quite strange, though, that I get to meet a talking wolf, and I somehow get the feeling we'll get really well acquainted with each other.


	3. Kill or die, part II

**Chapter III: Kill or die, part II**

It was late in the night that the snowstorm finally subsided, making it safe enough for me and the giant wolf to make it back to the village with the other two guys. Thanks to the wolf's magic, we teleported a short distance from the village, cutting down the time needed to walk back. Old man Gabriel was already awake by then, though with his injuries, he was in no condition to hunt anytime soon, and with the Elf still unconscious, I've had to carry him back alongside his and my belongings.

As the wolf turned to walk away, I said, "Thank you for everything."

"No need to mention it," The wolf said, "But do not think this is charity from me, Kiryu. 'Tis nothing more than a whim of mine that compelled me to aid you, nothing more."

"I get it," I told him, "But I am thankful nonetheless."

"Your thanks are unnecessary," Said the wolf, "Though perhaps our paths may cross again, should it be permissible by fate."

I scoffed at that, saying, "I prefer to write my own fate, rather than let it dictate how I live my life."

"Is that so?" Said the wolf, "Well, whatever. Not that how you live your life is my concern."

And the wolf vanished in a flash of blue light, leaving me alone with old man Gabriel and the unconscious Elf on my back.

Gabriel shook his head, saying, "I'm never goin' t'get over how y'managed t'get t'King of Wolves t'shelter you from that snowstorm, or how y'supposedly fended off Waldmörder wit' yer bare hands. What'll happen next, I wonder? You takin' on t'whole Royal Army wit' harsh language?"

I snorted lightly, saying, "One thing at a time, jii-san. For now, let's focus on getting home and resting for the night. And sorry about today's hunt. We ended up bringing back less than we originally got from the hunt, since we had to eat some of the meat while waiting for the snowstorm to subside."

The old man simply waved it off, saying, "F'get it, what's done s'done. No need t'cry o'er spilt milk. T'morrow we'll just go huntin' 'gain. Plenty o'game to hunt, and w'still got food t'eat, ain't certain death f'us yet."

"I suppose you're right," I conceded.

We soon made it back to the village, where we were soon surrounded by a handful of villagers who showed expressions of concern and relief. They were also quick to notice the Elf on my back, drawing looks of confusion and slight fear.

"Who's that?"

"Doesn't look like a Wood Elf or Dark Elf, that's f'sure."

"Y'think he's a High Elf?"

Can't say I blame them for their reactions, but neither am I sure this amount of attention would bode well for any of us. Good thing this is a remote village, then; too few would ever concern themselves with what happens here, at least in this case.

"Sorry, but please make way," I said, "We've got a casualty to tend to."

"And what seems t'have happened?" One of them asked, "Why'd y'take so long t'come back?"

The one who asked me was the village's blacksmith, Robert. A slightly portly man of heavy build, he struck me as the roguishly handsome type of man, with a small scar on his upper lip and some pockmarks dotting his face, black hair and light brown eyes. His dirty apron and belt of blacksmithing tools were such an integral part of his appearance as a blacksmith, I'd probably feel something's out of place if he didn't have them on him.

"We got attacked by Waldmörder whilst we were hunting. We managed to survive, but we got caught in a snowstorm, so we had to take shelter while we waited for it to subside."

The shock on the villagers' faces were palpable at my statement. Can't say I didn't expect it; everyone's damn terrified of Waldmörder for a good reason, and it would be nothing less of a miracle that we managed to survive, were they in our position.

"But how'n Balgur's name d'you manage t'even survive t'snowstorm in t'first place?" I heard someone ask.

"I believe I can answer that," Said a familiar voice.

The one asking was the village's resident shaman, Gertrud. A middle-aged woman nearly in her forties, she was a woman possessed of great power, wisdom and authority, hardly one I'd like to have as an enemy. She's well-respected among the villagers, though, since she's their resident doctor and fortune teller, apparently. Reminds me of that fortune teller I met in Kamurocho, back during the time of the economic bubble.

Aside from that, she stands out the most among all the villagers; a pelt of unnaturally black fur that bore elk antlers on the head, that necklace of teeth and fangs dangling on her neck, the tribal-like markings none were what people would call normal clothing. Her two apprentices, Amelia and Wilhelm, dress the same as her, minus the necklace of bones. Maybe it's a sign of rank? Don't know for sure, since I never bothered to ask.

Shamans were technically Orso's version of priests, but they sure as hell don't dress like priests. Knights would be more appropriate. Gertrud wore armour made of Orsi Winter Steel, well-polished but marred by several scratches and dents, most likely from the numerous times it's suffered damage over its years of service to its owner. And of course, there's her staff, made of Orsi weirwood, or whatever this naturally white wood is called, inscribed with bluish-green runes, a deer's skull affixed to the tip.

Bloody hell, I remember the first time I was terrified by her appearance alone. I mean, who the hell ever dresses like that? Even that fortune teller didn't dress so... creepily as her. Her accent's not as heavy, though it was not indiscernible. She's a damn good healer, though, managed to put a split stomach back together with some fancy magic and closed the gaping wound like nothing ever happened. Doctors would kill for such miraculous healing back at home.

"You encountered the legendary King of Wolves in the mountain whilst fending off Waldmörder, and it sheltered you from the snowstorm the whole time because it took an interest in ya," She said, shocking the villagers, "And the reason why he took an interest in you was because ya managed to - and I ain't joking - fend off the beast with nothing but your bare hands and legs. Would that be accurate, Kiryu?"

Damn, I have to give her credit, her clairvoyance or whatever it was... it was spot-on.

Still, I decided to come clean with the villagers and said, "Y-Yes, that's correct."

Murmurs of disbelief and outright denial erupted in unison among the villagers once again, though they were quickly silenced by Gertrud tapping her staff on the ground, and the villagers ceased their actions at once.

"That's quite enough," Said Gertrud, "They have just survived a grueling ordeal today, and are in need o'rest. Leave them be for now."

Though there seemed to be lingering doubt among the villagers, at least from what I could see, they nevertheless dispersed back to their homes to retire for the night. Gertrud, on the other hand, asked me to take the Elf to her quarters, whilst old man Gabriel went on back towards his home.

I laid down the Elf on a nearby bed, and Gertrud was quick to cast a flash of iridescent bluish-green over his body, which lingered for about a few seconds. Once she was done, the light vanished from her hands, and I was quick to ask, "How is he?"

Gertrud shook her head, whether in exasperation or annoyance, I don't know, and she said, "He's lucky beyond words, I'd say."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Severe frostbite, heavy fatigue, high fever, malnutrition, terrible blood loss, I'm surprised he's even alive at this point," She said, "Regardless, he'll need warm food, medical care n'plenty o'rest. He ain't getting up anytime soon, by the looks of it."

I nodded in thanks, and I said, "Do tell me if he wakes up."

"Will do," Gertrud said, "Now please leave me be. I got a patient to tend to."

No further words were said as I left Gertrud's lodge, and I went back into old man Gabriel's house to sleep for the night. The old man was already preparing supper for the night, and we quickly got to eating our fill. Our mealtime was mostly spent in silence, though I noticed Gabriel giving me quite the glare as we ate.

"Why'd you risk y'life like that?" I heard him ask.

"It was obvious, jii-san," I quickly replied, "You're my mentor, and I don't want you dying so easily."

"Y'could easily find someone else t'be y'er mentor," He retorted, "It don't have t'be me."

"That is true, but who ever has the guts to teach me to hunt whilst not fearing the fearsome Waldmörder?" I said, "And you are the one who helped the villagers fend off that giant bear for years; that's not something most hunters would do, even when enticed by money or the exhilaration of the hunt."

Gabriel remained silent, unable to retort against that point. At least he's not lying to himself, that's good.

"I'm not going to forcibly pry about why you're so determined to hunt him, if that's what you're wondering," I reassured him, "Just be careful you don't get yourself killed in the process."

The old man sighed, saying, "Y're rather nosy, y'know that?"

I scoffed at that, a slight smile crossing my lips.

"But I s'pose I'll take that advice o'y'rs t'heart," He said, allowing me to feel a small measure of relief, "Don't think Waldmörder'll be terrorisin' these parts f'now, and I still g'some tricks o'the trade t'teach ya."

"I'll be looking forward to it," I said.

IIOII

The next day, we went for another hunting trip, old man Gabriel accompanying me again. Compared to yesterday, he was more spry and well-rested, so he was in good condition to hunt. I'm hoping Waldmörder doesn't come and ruin it again, though; once is enough for me.

"'Right, today we're gonna trap game. No need t'use y'er bow 'er," He said, "Just follow me, and I'll show ya t'trapping sites."

As we ascended the mountain, the scenery becoming more or less familiar to me, we soon approached a certain area near the river, where old man Gabriel pointed towards a small area not far from a hole in the ground.

"See that?" He said, "Place y'trap on 'ere wit'bait and wait f'the prey t'come out."

I did as he asked, and with his guidance, we set up a snare suitable for catching rabbits.

"That's just one trap, we need t'set up more of'em t'catch us plenty," He said, "While we're waitin', let's find ourselves some wild herbs n'mushrooms and other things. Might take some time b'fore we trap some game."

Some time passed as we went foraging for edible items from the mountains, and they were in plentiful supply; mushrooms, herbs, roots, and some of those special plants Gertrud might want for whatever medicines she's cooking up in her lodge, there was enough to fill two satchels worth of them, and there were still plenty more to harvest.

"That's 'nough for now, no need t'pick anymore," Said Gabriel.

"Really? But there's so much to pick," I said.

"Listen carefully, Kiryu," He said firmly, "T'mountain's bounty is not t'be taken f'granted; we must respect it, and leave behind some things so others'd be able t'live off it as well. If w'just take everythin', we're no better than wild animals, and we got no right t'enter the mountain, got it?"

I nodded in understanding, and as we returned from foraging, we found that all of our snares had caught rabbits, and we reaped the yield of no fewer than five rabbits.

"'Right, that's it for today," Said the old man, "We'd better return t'the village and give some o'that rabbit to our Elven guest, he'll be needin' some warm food in his belly."

"My thoughts exactly," I replied.

We soon returned to the village, thankfully with little difficulty, and the extra stuff we got from our hunting trip earned us a tidy sum of money to live by for the next few days. We went to Gertrud's lodge and found the Elf was still comatose for the time being, his hands and face heavily bandaged. He looked rather pale, though his skin was slowly regaining its colour.

Upon noticing me and old man Gabriel entering the lodge, Gertrud nodded to us and said, "Ah, you're 'ere. I presume ya have some extra rabbit meat for our dear Elf 'ere?"

I nodded, holding up some of the rabbit carcasses we had deskinned and deboned. We went straight to cooking a rabbit stew; Gertrud and I prepared the vegetables, whilst jii-san and the apprentices roasted the meat over a fire.

"Y'know, ya don't need ta concentrate so hard on choppin' vegetables," Gertrud remarked.

"Don't disturb me, ba-san," I told her, my eyes never leaving the chopping board, my knife slowly chopping a few onions as I concentrated with great intensity.

Gertrud sighed, leaving me to work on my portion of vegetables as she went to work on hers.

Having cooked a large pot of stew, I scooped out a bowl and went towards the Elf. Careful to not let any of it spill, I slowly spoon-fed the unconscious Elf with stew until none was left.

"Best feed him an extra bowl, he's been shakin' in the bed since this mornin'," Gertrud told me.

I nodded and fed him an extra portion as she requested. Afterwards, she took a wooden bowl filled with a misty, thick orange-yellow liquid, and placing the bowl's rim at the Elf's lips, she slowly tilted it as her patient swallowed the medicine.

"It'll take a few more days for him to be right as rain, but I reckon he'll be awakenin' tomorrow morning," Said Gertrud.

"Thank you for taking care of him," I said.

"Don't mention it," She said, "If anythin', I should be thanking you fer bringing Gabriel back home safely. I swear by Balgur, that man's got a death wish."

I smirked at that. Gertrud's definitely smitten with Gabriel, even if the old man's not interested. She might not show much in the way of positive emotions, but she's definitely got a heart of gold. Takes good care of the village's kids as well, albeit as a stern nanny of sorts.

As I stepped outside, I took out a pipe fashioned from Orsi Weirwood. Filling it with some roasted plant matter, I lit it up with some fire magic I learned, and took a long puff of smoke, slowly savouring the flavour as I exhaled it from my lips. I had to admit, I had not expected to get my hands on Athil's version of tobacco - which they called Sunburst Leaf - during my stay here, and it was a godsend; I was dying for a smoke, even if it's just a little.

As for how I got my hands on some, let's just say the old man Gabriel gave me some from that private stash of his, as thanks for saving him and because he had no use for it.

Unfortunately, it was only a small amount I had, good enough for about five rounds of smoking or so, and I smoke quite frequently. Moreover, that small amount was the entirety of the old man's stash of Sunburst Leaf, so once I exhausted my current supply, I'd have to find some other way to obtain it. From what I gathered, it would be difficult to obtain it, because demand for Sunburst Leaf was terribly minimal outside of where it was produced, the Desert Kingdom of Caldeir, so even smugglers tend to sell it in small quantities at a time.

I wonder if there'll be some merchants in the bigger cities who sell it? Surely there'd be some smugglers who'd be willing to part with Sunburst Leaf for a tidy sum. But that'll be for another time, I suppose.

IIOII

Yet another day passed, and I awoke early with old man Gabriel so we could go hunting again. Before that, however, I decided to go visit Gertrud's lodge to check on the Elf. Said Elf was currently awake and sitting upright on the bed, dressed in some winter garb to help him keep warm. His armour and weapons were at Robert's shop - though he didn't know how to repair them without worsening the damage, whilst the rest of his stuff were kept at the Shaman's lodge.

"I see you're awake," I said.

"Where am I?" He said in lilting voice, which carried a gentle tenor, "How am I alive? W-Where's that bear?"

"Not so fast," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I rescued you from that bear whilst I and my mentor were hunting in the mountain. You're damn lucky we found you before you died up there."

"I... see," He said, "But what of my armour and weapons, and my belongings for that matter? I remember them being badly damaged."

"They're at the shop of a blacksmith called Robert," I said, "If you want, you can go get them from him, but they're still in bad shape. The rest of your stuff's right there in that chest. Just ask Gertrud here to open it if you want to take them."

The Elf nodded.

"You have my thanks for healing my wounds and securing my belongings, mistress..."

"Kiryu. Kiryu Kazuma," I said, offering a hand to him, "And you should thank Gertrud instead; she's the one who helped you get better and stay alive. I only helped with the cooking."

"And were it not for your timely intervention, I would have made a gruesome fate at the hands of that massive bear," He said, shaking my hand, "So I have the both of you to thank."

"Well, no need to mention it, then," I said, "But what the hell were you doing right in the middle of nowhere? And who exactly gave you your other injuries? It can't have all been from that bear."

The Elf's face darkened considerably, and I knew I brought up a topic he'd rather not discuss. Even so, he said, "Believe it or not, my own kinsmen."

I said nothing as he continued, "I was an exile escaping pursuit from my would-be murderers, alone and without allies to aid me. Due to... circumstances, I was branded a traitor by my own brethren and sentenced to death, and I became a hunted fugitive overnight. Fleeing them was not an easy task, for they are persistent in completing their task and difficult to best in combat."

Damn, a hunted fugitive and outcast of his own society. Wonder if he did something those Elven politicians in his home considered 'politically incorrect'?

"I had managed to secure a boat and drift towards the shores of these snow-covered lands, but my troubles did not end there," He continued, and the bandages on his chest unravelled to reveal a small scar, about the size of a small cut, "Before I managed to escape by sea, I was struck by a poisoned arrow, which impeded my ability to fight effectively. The effects have faded by now, but at the time I landed in this country, I was already beset by bandits roaming the area, and with the poison having exerted its worst effects on me, I suffered terrible injuries."

"Miraculously, I survived the encounter, and I planned to use a steed I captured to find myself a place to rest, but my injuries were taking a toll on me. It took me three days to make it here by horse, and by then I was accosted by the bear you called Waldmörder."

"And here you are, somehow alive after that huge mess," I concluded, to which the Elf nodded, "There's just one thing I have to ask you, though."

"And what would that be?" Said the Elf.

"Why come all the way to this remote village?" I asked, "If you're staying away from the big cities or towns to avoid unwanted attention, that's understandable. What I don't understand is why come to this place of all places? Couldn't you simply find another village that fits the bill?"

"Fits the bill?" He wondered, his confusion mirrored by the others present.

"Ah, sorry, I meant to say whatever place fulfils their intended purpose for you," I clarified.

"I see. As for your earlier question, the answer is that the presence of the King of Wolves dissuades my pursuers from entering this region."

"Seriously?" I said.

"Yes. Though the Humans of this region know little of that legendary beast, we High Elves have known about him since he was first born into this world," He explained, "He is possessed of great power and strength, which rivals even the strongest warriors and magi amongst my kinsmen, so much so that even they are fearful of incurring his wrath. At times, our ancestors tried to enlist him into our army to make use of his strength, even forcefully."

"And I'm guessing that didn't turn out well?" I said, which the Elf affirmed with a nod.

"Each time they angered him, he retaliated with overwhelming force, and the Elves who stood against him stood no chance of even surviving, let alone fending him off," He said, "To this day, they hold great fear of him and leave him be, since he is content with not attacking anyone who does not do the same to him."

"He does speak the truth, at least as far as I believe him to be," Gertrud interjected, "According to the oldest of tales, the Elves who dwelt in this land prior t'their departure were said t'have made great efforts to avoid the King o'Wolves, as he's possessed of great might and power that rivals theirs; story matches what he says."

"Well, I'll be damned," I said, "So that anti-social Wolf King's really got the power to burn me to a crisp if he wanted to?"

"That would not be accurate, because the Wolf King does not use fire magic..." Said the Elf, "But I suppose the euphemism is similar."

I let out a groan, rubbing my head as I struggled to absorb this new information.

"Huh, so I guess I should be happy the Wolf King's not in the mood to turn me into shish-kebab," I muttered to myself, "Why is it that even here, I get strange shit thrown my damn way every single bloody time? I'm not the world's bloody housekeeper, for god's sake... And why the hell does the Wolf King, of all people, have to take an interest in me?"

"Pardon me for saying this, but why do you speak as if you are acquainted with the Wolf King?" Asked the Elf, which gave me a rather big scare.

"Gah!" I yelled, "Did you hear me murmuring to myself?"

"Every single word," He replied, "We Elves have exceptional hearing, such that we can hear the softest of whispers. It was easy to hear your murmuring."

I sighed in annoyance, saying, "Maybe a warning next time?"

"I make no promises on that matter," Said the Elf, a slight smirk crossing his lips, "But you said that the King of Wolves has taken an interest in you?"

"Yes, that's right."

"But how is it even possible? The King of Wolves has made it a habit to never interact with any mortal beings, and never does he take an interest in their affairs, so exactly what was the cause of this?"

"Well... I kind of managed to fend of Waldmörder with my bare hands and legs," I nonchalantly said, eliciting great surprise from the Elf.

"W-What in the name of- That cannot be possible! How did you manage to do that!?" The Elf asked, or more like _demanded_ , "Was it through empowerment by the arts of magic!?"

"Nope, I didn't know crap about magic at that time," I said, "At most, my proficiency measures at the barest minimum; only very simple spells, nothing more, not even enough against that bear."

"You must be lying, I have never heard of Human being possessing the strength to single-handedly hold off a beast as mighty as Waldmörder! Please tell me this is nothing more than embellished storytelling, Lady Shaman!" The Elf said with disbelieving eyes, almost pleadingly.

Gertrud's response was a sympathetic sigh, as she said, "I'm sorry, pretty boy, but that's the truth."

The Elf's mouth was left hanging open as he gaped at me; if there were anyone I remember looking that surprised, it'd probably be Nagumo when he realised Yuta was Haruto's father. God, if the mood weren't so serious at that time, I'd probably laugh at that priceless expression.

"I know, I know, it's unbelievable," I said with hands raised in a placating gesture, "Believe me, the villagers reacted as you did when they found out about this."

After about a few moments of gaping, the Elf then shook his head and sighed, saying, "Very well. If the villagers believe such nonsense, I have no choice but to take their word for it. Now if you excuse me, I must-"

As the Elf moved to get up, however, he suddenly clenched his side in pain as he fell to a knee. Seems his injuries are worse than I thought, and by the looks of it, it'll still be a few more days before he's fit to travel. Gertrud was immediately at his side as he helped him back onto the bed, a chastising tone adopted in her voice as she said, "You're not going anywhere, pretty boy. You are clearly unfit for travel, and will rest until your wounds are fully healed."

"But I-" The Elf tried to protest, only to be silenced by an unrelenting glare from Gertrud that voiced her stance on the matter.

"Am I understood?" Said Gertrud.

With a grunt of acquiescence, the Elf reluctantly backed down, and not wanting to further earn the Shaman's ire by worsening his injuries, he gingerly set himself back on the bed, allowing Gertrud's apprentice, Wilhelm, to tend to him.

Wilhelm's a young boy, maybe between sixteen to seventeen years of age. He's pretty much dressed in the same manner as Gertrud and Amelia, the only difference being his weapon of choice and pelt of fur on his head; his pelt of fur was pitch black, taken from a bear killed by the village's hunters, and instead of a staff that Shamans usually hold, he instead used a two-handed, single-headed battleaxe, the head forged of Winter Steel, the haft made of Weirwood.

He's got long silver hair and beautiful emerald eyes, which sparkled with youth and vigor. Boy's also got a good head on his shoulders and a great personality, always looking to help out others whenever they need it, and he's quite considerate as well. Darn good with his axe and magic as well, though I've yet to see him fare against actual, experienced fighters.

"Wilhelm, mind doing my back when I come back from hunting? I'd like a tattoo there, if you don't mind," I asked him.

"O'course, Kiryu," Said Wilhelm, "It's the least I could do ta repay you for fetchin' me those reagents."

Might I mention he's also a good tattoo artist? Turns out, he and all other Shamans have to learn how to do tattoos on aspiring and fully-fledged Shamans once they pass the Rites of Apprenticeship and Attunement respectively. In fact, the tribal markings Gertrud has are all tattoos that signify her passing of the Rite of Attunement, and her status as a fully-fledged Shaman.

"Speaking of which, how's your training?" I asked him.

"Very well, I'll say," Said Wilhelm, "Gertrud's now teaching me t'recipes for t'advanced potions and poultices, and I'm well on my way to masterin' t'more complicated spells."

I smirked at that.

"Good for you, then," I said, "I wish you the best of luck."

"And t'you, too," Wilhelm replied.

As I was going to leave the lodge, however, the Elf called out to me, saying, "Wait!"

I stopped and turned around to face him.

"What?" I said.

"Your name's Kiryu, yes?" He asked, to which I nodded.

"Kiryu Kazuma."

"It was rude of me to not introduce myself earlier," The Elf said, "Belarion is my name."

"I see. I'll be sure to remember the next time we talk," I said, bowing slightly, "Be sure to rest well."

IIOII

The rest of the day went by without a hitch; hunting, nabbing game, selling off the extra produce, it pretty much became my daily routine now that I've more or less mastered the basic hunting skills taught to me by Gabriel. And it seems this village's well known for the quality furs and other stuff caught here, all selling for quite a high price. Even used to have hunters from other parts of Orso coming here to get those products, at least before that massive bear started killing them.

As we went back to the village, though, I saw the village chief and a few others arguing with someone else, and from the looks of it, he's a hunter who came prepared; his clothes and weapons were a dead giveaway, and whatever he's got in his rucksack, it's definitely not for camping up in the mountains.

"... I keep tellin' ya, slayin' Waldmörder ain't an easy task!" Argued Adalard, the village chief, an elderly man in his sixties, still spry in his old age.

"Really? I think the lot of you are a bunch of cowards!" Mocked the arrogant hunter, a man in his early thirties, "Waldmörder's merely a beast like any other! It can be killed, you just don't want to try it!"

Judging by his accent, he's definitely not from the countryside, and he seems full of himself as well. I will agree with him that Waldmörder can be killed, but it's difficult to do so; there's a reason why he has a kill count of over two hundred hunters.

"Hah! Arguing with you is a waste of time! I'll go up the mountain soon, and I'll prove it to you that Waldmörder's not worth all the fear you have about him!"

And with that, the hunter boldly strode off towards the mountain, an arrogant smirk plastered on his face. Bastard didn't even bother acknowledging my presence as he walked past me. Oh well, he'll learn the hard way soon enough.

"I swear, by Balgur, does he know n'the dangers of facing a beast such as Waldmörder!? Are all hot-headed hunters like this?" Ranted Adalard.

"It's no use talking to him, Adalard," I said to him, "He'll just have to learn it the hard way."

"I suppose so, but even then, I fear he will do something foolish just to draw the bear out," Said Adalard, "If that were to happen, I'll have to heighten our vigil and even have people issue warnings about possible dangers lurking in the mountain."

He seems a little overly worried, but given the current instability of King Sigmar's rule over this country and the lurking danger of Waldmörder not far from the village, he's got reason to be worried. And if that hot-headed hunter does happen to do something stupid, then I'll just have to beat some sense into him.

Speaking of which, I entered Gertrud's lodge and found Belarion to be recuperating well. His skin wasn't as pale, and the frostbite seems to have faded from his injured areas. Right now, he was busy taking a bowlful of a greenish-yellow mixture, and Gertrud was busy preparing dinner for her patient. It smelt of bear meat, its scent I could recognise after handling it enough times, and of a dozen other herbs I couldn't make out.

Seeing me enter the hut, Belarion put down the empty bowl as he greeted me, saying, "Welcome back, Kiryu. How fares your hunting trip?"

"Same as the last one; went off without any problems," I said, "Though with the presence of a rather troublesome character, that's not going to last much longer, I'm afraid."

"Yes, I have overheard," Said Belarion, "So what will you and the rest of the village do about him, for that matter?"

"For now, nothing. He doesn't seem to be the type to be convinced by words alone, thinks we're all cowards for not killing Waldmörder," I explained, "But he'll learn soon enough. I'm just hoping he doesn't do something stupid that puts the village at risk."

"I see," Said Belarion, an inscrutable expression on his face, "Nonetheless, I shall pray such a thing does not come to pass."

I smiled slightly.

"Maybe a prayer would be nice every now and then," I remarked, to which Belarion also smiled.

Wilhelm then came in, carrying a basket of freshly picked herbs and edible plants. Upon seeing me, he was quick to say, "Ah, Kiryu! You're back!"

"Looks like quite the haul you have there. Been working hard, I believe?" I said.

"Of course!" Wilhelm said, "I aspire to be a master Shaman, just as Gertrud is! It is natural that I work hard to achieve that goal!"

I offered him a slight smirk as I pat him on the shoulder, saying, "Good work, then. I'm sure you'll achieve your dream with that positive attitude."

Wilhelm then blushed slightly, saying, "I-Is that so? Thanks f'the praise. Oh, and I believe y'asked me to ink yer back, yes?"

"I did."

"Very good. Just gimme a moment to set aside these herbs and get my tools, and I'll start inkin' yer back," Said Wilhelm, "Just g'inside that room and wait fer me there in t'meantime."

It wasn't long before Wilhelm had prepared his tools for inking my back, including his tattoo needles and a small canister. Opening it, the contents were pure black ink. I lied down on the bed, taking off my shirt and breast band as my back was exposed to him. Swiftly he went straight to cleaning my back and shaving off the tiny hairs with a small razor. He then proceeded to start inking my back, and though it still slightly hurt with the needle poking into my back, I was used to it, and compare to all the pain I felt taking punches and kicks, this was nothing.

For now, I had him just do the outline; the full colouring will be done another time. As for why I'm not doing the whole tattoo within the day, it's because I haven't exactly done much other than live as a hunter the whole time I was here, and I haven't helped out in regards to putting down Waldmörder. I suppose it's a rite of passage for me, as I want to prove myself being capable of the ideals I carry on my back.

"If I might say, it's strange that someone other than a Shaman's asked one to give'em a tattoo," Said Wilhelm as he did his work, "If I might ask, why d'you want one?"

A soft 'hmm' escaped my lips, and I then said, "To reflect the ideals I carry on my back."

"Your ideals?" Asked Wilhelm.

"Yes, my ideals," I affirmed, "There can be a lot of people who say ideals are useless, either because the idealistic ones prove too naive or can't stay true to them in the face of reality. I've seen that happen to a lot of people, people who originally had ideals they aspired to follow, only to fall halfway."

"I s'pose that happens t'many," Wilhelm said, "What about you? Do you feel your ideals are worth following?"

Without hesitation, I immediately replied, "Yes."

"Even until death?"

"Without a doubt."

"That's a bold statement yer makin' there," Wilhelm said softly, more to himself than to me.

I smirked at that, saying, "Believe me, you're not the first person to tell me that. It is true that when push comes to shove, not many will risk their lives for the sake of their ideals. And yet, who's to say they can't inspire others to do the same?"

"... I don't know 'bout that, really," Said Wilhelm, "I mean, the Royal court's divided into factions vyin' fer supremacy, and our King ain't really one wit' the guts to take charge o'things with how damned messy they are..."

"So you're saying you've yet to see those with ideals possess the will and power to make them a reality?" I asked him.

"I suppose you could say that, yes," Said Wilhelm.

"Well, who's to know for sure what the future holds?" I said.

"Huh?"

"Think about it, Wilhelm," I said to him, "Sure there Shamans with the power of seeing the future, but can they truly say it is a future set in stone?"

"...Now that I think about it, no," He said with honesty.

"Exactly. No one knows what the future will really be, and what path will be taken before the future becomes a reality. Of course, we can't really change the beginning or the end, but we can change the middle as much as we want. There's many different possibilities about what the future could be, and different paths to take. Our actions are the deciding factor, and what we do can inevitably change what the future may be."

Wilhelm didn't say anything in response to that, though he continued inking my tattoo.

"Well, it's just me saying, but do keep those words in mind," I said to him.

"...I will," He replied.

It was not long before he finished inking the tattoo. Putting down the needle, he proceeded to wipe cream onto my tattooed skin before bandaging it, and then handed me a small flask filled with a translucent orange liquid.

"Drink a few drops o'this after every meal t'heal yer skin. Drinkin' too much at one shot or applyin' a poultice'll wash off the ink, and be sure to wear loose clothing until t'bandages can be removed," Wilhelm said to me as I got up.

"I got it," I said, taking the flask.

"And if ya ruin it e'en a little, I'll be darned cross. Ya hear me?" Said Wilhelm, a tone of warning in his words, not that he's hostile or anything.

I smirked, saying, "I understand."

IIOII

It wasn't long before Adalard came running to me, a distraught look in his eyes.

"Kiryu! We got a problem!" He shouted, almost out of breath.

"Calm down, old man. What's going on?" I asked.

"That damned hunter from earlier's scattered bait all o'er the mountain!" He said, "And with so much, it'll wake up the other hibernatin' bears! The mountain'll be swarmed with'em!"

My eyes narrowed at this; that damned hunter, exactly how egotistical can he get? The bear bait will lure more than Waldmörder, and the villagers will be direly affected by this.

"There's still time, though," He said, "It wasn't long ago he gone and scattered that bait. If we act now, we can pick it up and at least minimise t'number o'bears wakin' up. Hopefully, mountain won't be too swarmed wit'em by then. Also, Gabriel's gone on ahead towards the mountain; if ya go quickly, there's a chance ya can catch up t'him."

"Then I'll go and quickly gather the bait he scattered," I said, "You'd best have the village on high alert as well, make sure they take extra caution when ascending the mountain."

"Don't need t'tell me twice," He said before going off, but not before passing me a map, "Check t'map for the marked locations. That's t'most likely places he's put the bait to draw out Waldmörder."

I hastily ascended the mountain, having quickly donned my hunter's gear and got my weapons ready. On my way up, I could already see the consequences of that idiot hunter's actions; bears roaming around at this time of the year when they should be hibernating. Right now, I don't have time to hunt them, so I took steps to avoid drawing their attention. I took out a map and read it, checking for the locations where the bait would be placed, marked for my reference.

From what I could see, as many as six locations were marked on the map, so that means six or so pieces of bait to pick up.

A distant roar sounded in the distance. This isn't good, better hurry before the mountain's swarmed with bears.

IIOII

"All right, that's the final one," I muttered to myself as I placed the bait in my rucksack.

Now that the bait's taken care of, time to find the old man and that idiot hunter, preferably before the latter causes anymore damage.

Yet another roar, this time louder, followed by another, and then another. I dashed towards the direction where the roars came from, and I soon saw the idiot hunter trying to fire arrows at the bear, though I could see a faint glow emanating from the arrowheads. At first he seemed to still have that cocky smirk, thinking Waldmörder to be easy prey.

As the arrows literally bounced off its body and the bear drew closer to him, that smirk was replaced with a wide-eyed look of horror, and the idiot hunter tried to run in vain. Waldmörder quickly pounced on him, rending his claws across his arms which he raised defensively. Blood was spilled, and a shriek of pain escaped the hunter's lips.

Another roar was heard, but it was a man's, and I saw Gabriel charging straight at the bear with an axe. He swung it, and it bit deep into the bear's hide, but Waldmörder quickly shrugged it off and threw Gabriel off him, causing him to lose his grip on the axe and fly straight into the ground.

"Jii-san!" I shouted, drawing the bear's attention to me.

This isn't good, if I can't fend him off here, I can't hope to rescue them. What's worse, I could feel the winds picking up, and I could tell straight away another blizzard's coming this way.

Without delay, I quickly loosed arrows at the bear, forcing it to focus on me as Gabriel stood up. The old man was quick to shout, "What're ya doin' girl!? You're gonna get yerself killed!"

I did not reply, and instead punched the bear in the face. Quite frankly, I think I pissed it off, but at least he's focused directly on me, now. And it seems Gabriel's not in the best shape to fight, so I'll have to drive Waldmörder off myself.

"Come on, you damn bear! I'm right here!" I taunted, goading the massive beast.

His response was to prepare to charge at me, and I stood my ground, waiting for him.

With a bestial roar, he charged forth, ready to ram me into the ground. Just as he was about to do so, I sidestepped at the last moment, leaving the bear to collide head-first with a nearby boulder with a loud thud. Stumbling around in a moment of dizziness, the bear collapsed onto the ground, unconscious and dazed.

Wasting no time, I quickly checked on the old man, who seemed no worse for the wear, though he seemed to be in pain. At least he was still capable of walking. As for the idiot hunter, he was in terrible shape; his arms were horribly injured, with muscles and bone exposed, and his torso was in only slightly better condition, his lacerations bleeding terribly. Judging by how deep they looked, the bear's claws might have cut deep into the stomach.

I hastily took out a flask of healing poultice, opened it, and quickly applied it onto his lacerations, eliciting cries of agony from the hunter. I then proceeded to bandage his wounds and apply a crude brace to hold it together.

"You alright?" I asked.

"Y-You came to save me...?" The hunter muttered, too weak to talk properly.

"Yes, whether you believe it or not," I replied, "Can you walk?"

He shook his head feebly.

"I can't," He muttered, "I'm afraid you'll have to carry me back."

I proceeded to carry him on my back, piggyback style, my rucksack positioned in front of my body. I'll have to admit, from afar it looked quite silly how a woman was giving a man a piggyback, but this wasn't the time for laughing.

"Come on, old man, we'd better hurry back to the village," I told Gabriel, who nodded in response.

IIOII

I observed the hunter with an angry glare as Gertrud and her apprentices tended to the idiot hunter's injuries. His stomach and arms had been treated, and with the aid of his prescribed medicine, his fractured bones will heal in about a day or two. The shamans didn't regard him too well, and neither did the whole village, not after the shit he did. Can't say I blame them, I'm also quite pissed he put the whole village at risk in his hubris.

"There we are," Said Gertrud, "In about three days, you'll be fit to travel again."

"I see..." Said the hunter, "Thank you."

"Just leave t'village and never come back," Gertrud said, "That's all the thanks we need."

The hunter weakly chuckled at that, saying, "I promise you I won't. After today, I'll never go hunting again."

"Waldmörder scare you that bad?" I asked him.

"Yes," The hunter said, "Even now, I still feel fear whenever I think of him... that beast, shrugging off my arrows like they were paper... I never thought I'd encounter a beast as fearsome as him."

"And that's why the villagers warned you to not take him lightly," I said, reprimanding him, "Perhaps then, we could have avoided this whole mess."

"I know... and I'm sorry," He weakly said, "What about that old man, Gabriel? What motivates him to hunt Waldmörder, such that he persevered for over nine years? Money, or the satisfaction of the hunt?"

"That's what I like to know," I replied, "But I do know he's not motivated by either of those things."

"Heh... I'll admit, I came to hunt Waldmörder for the satisfaction of the hunt," Said the hunter, "But we all know how that went."

He sighed, and then said to me, "You're hunting that bear as well, yes?"

I nodded, to which he said, "If that's the case, take my bow and arrows. I don't have a use for them anymore. They're enchanted arrows, specifically made to track down prey who are struck with them. They'll emit a magical signature you can trace with magic, all the way back to the prey's hideout. For it to work on Waldmörder, though, I think you'll have to hit him in his soft underbelly. Probably."

"I got it. What about you? What will you do, now that you've decided to not hunt anymore?" I asked the hunter.

He said, "Maybe I'll go settle down, live a quiet life, or maybe go find another job in the cities, eke out a decent living for myself. Preferably somewhere far away from here. I wonder what I'm supposed to live for now, though."

"That's something you'll have to find on your own," I said to him, "You're lucky you have another chance. Don't ever forget the pain you experienced."

"Hehehe, I wouldn't forget even if I begged myself to," The idiot hunter said, his lips curling into a mirthless smile.


	4. Kill or die, part III

**A/N: For those waiting for the next chapter, here it is! Sorry to keep you all waiting, but I was busy playing plenty of Skyrim and trying to overcome my latest wave of writer's block, since I haven't been writing for weeks due to exams.**

 **Chapter IV: Kill or die, part III**

With the enchanted arrows given to us by the wounded hunter, Gabriel and I were trekking up the mountain once again, this time to plant the tracking device on Waldmörder before the day was over. With so many bears roaming the hillside, we had to take extra caution in avoiding them, and fortunately for us, Gabriel's travelled the mountain for over nine years during his numerous hunting trips, so he knows every nook and cranny of the mountains, every possible path and every potential hiding place.

Nearly an hour later - or so I felt, we soon found Waldmörder, who seemed to be alone and currently feasting on a fish. For now, he seems ignorant of our presence, though we kept ourselves safe from a certain distance as a precautionary measure.

Damn, it's so much colder up here - I never went this high up the mountain before, and I tried my best to keep my breath from stuttering as I dealt with the slight shivers coursing through my body.

"'Right, ye're up next," Gabriel gestured to me, "Time t'plant t'arrow in its belly. I'll be waitin' behind those rocks while ya do y're job."

I nodded at him, and with my bow and arrow in hand I slowly crept forward, drawing the bowstring and keeping my aim steady. My breaths became whispers in my ears as I focused on the bear, my ears tuning out all other sounds.

With the bear not turning around, though, I had no choice but to start some trouble; I released the bowstring, and with a twang the arrow shot forward, landing on Waldmörder's back as it bounced off harmlessly. With an primal snarl of irritation, the massive bear turned to face me, and quickly charged at me. I sidestepped him, barely avoiding the bear as it harmlessly sped past me.

With surprising speed it turned around and stood on its hind legs, ready to crush me as it raised its paws, exposing his underbelly.

Wasting no time, I quickly drew another arrow and loosed it, my aim proving true as it impacted on the bear's soft underbelly.

Guess that's it, then. Nothing more to be done, I thought. With a quick gesture from Gabriel we both ran down the mountain, taking care not to get ourselves entangled in any pitfall or other obstacle that would impede our escape. The bear, however, was far faster than we thought, and it wasn't long before it caught up to us.

"Old man! We can't keep running like this for long!" I shouted, "We need someplace to hide!"

"There ain't any hidin' place from t'bloody bear's sense o' smell!" The old man retorted, "We hafta get t'the foot o'the mountain 'fore that bear gives up chasin' us!"

Just as he said that, his foot slipped, and he quickly lost his footing as he tumbled down the path we were on, forcing me to stop as I ran towards him to pick him up.

"What're ya doin', girl!?" He shouted, "If ya stop fer me-"

"Quit feeding me that bullshit! I'm not leaving you behind and I never will!" I countered, as I tried to lift him up as quickly as possible.

Sadly for me, the bear was soon upon us, and I had to leave Gabriel on the ground as I prepared to fight the bear again.

"Come on, Waldmörder! Let's see what you're made of!" I taunted, cracking my knuckles.

Distantly, there was the echo of a wolf's howl, and Waldmörder halted in his actions as he hastily turned his head around, trying to determine the direction the howl came from. Again it sounded, and again Waldmörder tried in vain to determine the source of the howling, and from what I could see in the bear's eyes, there was fear. Nothing but fear, most likely of the beast who howled in the distance.

I, for one, couldn't see who was howling either, but it was enough to drive Waldmörder into a panic as he made a run for it, leaving me alone with Gabriel as I let out a sigh of relief. When I looked in the distance, I saw that same wolf from yesterday standing atop a boulder in the distance, and he returned my gaze before it disappeared into the wilds.

I suppose I owe you another one, Wolf King.

Gabriel, on the other hand, just muttered, "Bloody hell, this is t'second time ya saved me skin."

"Technically, the Wolf King was the one who scared off Waldmörder," I said.

"And who else would he do it fer?" Gabriel said, "In that sense, ya saved me skin 'gain."

"And I would gladly do it many times over," I said, "I've said it before and I'll say it again: You're important to both me and the village, and your life is not disposable, so there's no damned way in hell I'm letting you die so easily."

Gabriel opened his mouth to argue, but decided against it, instead keeping quiet as I tended to his ankle. Thankfully it was just a light sprain, nothing too serious. Some quick bandaging and bracing, and his foot was treated, at least for now. It was just a patch job, though, and though I treated his foot with healing magic, I can't be too sure it's healed well enough yet, so I gave him a long stick to use as a walking aid.

"Right, now that your foot's taken care of, we'd better start tracing Waldmörder back to his hideout," I said.

"Aye, now's a good time as any, wit' the Wolf King scarin' 'em witless," Gabriel said, to which I smiled.

Using a simple clairvoyance spell - one tuned to the enchantment of the arrows, we slowly followed the trail of bluish light cast from my hand as we traversed higher up and deeper into the mountain. Have to admit, this magic's fairly helpful if one knows how to use it for whatever purpose is necessary.

Fortunately enough, the Wolf King's howls were enough to terrify the other bears in the mountains - at least on the path we took, and with the absence of bears lingering on the paths for the most part, it was not long before we reached the entrance of a cave. From the looks of it, it wasn't some place for the unsuspecting; carcasses were littered around the entrance, stains of blood painting rocks and snow crimson red. The cave itself seemed rather dark, hardly any trace of light to be see within, no holes in the walls for sunlight to filter in.

Nodding in satisfaction, Gabriel then said, "Yup, that's it fer today. Now we know where t'bear's hidin', we just gotta come back 'ere tomorrow and finish 'job."

"So the time's coming, then," I said, "We'll soon be rid of him once and for all."

"Aye, but it ain't time t'be gloatin' o'er bein' able t'kill him," Gabriel stated.

"I know, Old man. Never underestimate one's prey, even when it's cornered," I said.

"You're learnin'. That's good," Gabriel said while nodding, "Come on, time t'go. We'll have supper, then we finish the hunt tomorrow."

IIOII

Last night was fairly uneventful, save for when I went to check on Belarion again. He's steadily recovering, and Gertrud's given him permission to walk on the condition he doesn't push himself too hard. As for the state of his armour, it seems no one's skilled enough to even try tampering with it, and it's not just because the craftsmanship of the Elvish armour was beyond pretty much any blacksmith in the village - and anywhere in Orso in general, but the metal used was not native to Orso. No, we're talking quality Silverite, a metal only Elvish smiths know how to work, and that's a rare metal difficult to get, even from smugglers.

At least his weapons are still in working condition, so no need to worry about him being defenseless. Speaking of which...

"So how did you come to be exiled in the first place?" I asked the Elf, who immediately adopted an expression of melancholy.

Sighing, he said, "It was not long ago that I was declared an exile by my own people, a mere two weeks ago. The memory is still bitter, though. And I believe I have not properly introduced myself earlier. I am Belarion Theron, son of Ar'theron, heir to one of the Six Ruling Lords of Ulthuar."

I raised an eyebrow at that.

"You're royalty?"

"Of a sort," He said, "But allow me to explain what led to my exile."

I nodded as he continued, "Two weeks ago, I was present at a meeting convened by the Elven Council of Six Lords - the ruling government of the High Elven lands of Ulthuar, for a discussion on how we were to counter the threat posed to us by the Orcs of the Skulltusk Clan. Just so you know, the Skulltusk Clan is infamous for being an organised clan of raiding pirates, particularly in the Orthan Ocean, where they operate most frequently, and many times they have raided many merchant fleets and attacked many settlements within their reach. My people have often come into conflict with them, and I myself am a veteran of many campaigns against the Orc pirates."

"What about the Orcs in general?" I asked, "Do they frequently raid other places as well?"

"It would be wrong to say that, Kiryu," Said Belarion, "Orcs in general do not get along well with other races, save for the Goblins and the Human tribes of Arthodan, but most of them time they keep to themselves in general, preferring not to engage in conflict with others if they can help it. At times, though, there have been conflicts between Orcish clans over a number of reasons, ranging from petty feuds to matters of honour, among others. The Skulltusk Clan is the only Orcish clan we have directly come into conflict with."

"I see. And now for the reason of your exile," I said, "What happened, exactly."

Belarion then said, "During that meeting, many things were discussed, but there was one topic they never brought up or wanted to discuss..."

"The topic of forming possible alliances with other races or other nations," I concluded, to which he nodded, his expression turning into that of embitterment.

"Aye, and the matter of leading a campaign of permanent conquest against these Orcs," He stated, conveying as much venom as possible, "Fools they are, the lot of them. They think we alone can take down the Skulltusk Clan? Or that we can simply outlast them for infinite periods of time? We may be possessed of centuries' worth of experience in warfare, and possess an equal amount of arcane knowledge to aid us against our enemies, but they simply outnumber us three times over. That, and we have become far too reclusive that most don't even bother travelling far beyond our controlled waters."

"Am I to guess that you suggested leading a punitive expedition against the Orcs, then?" I asked, "I mean, you seem to truly want to take decisive action where most others in your government did not."

"I most certainly did, though afterwards, many vehemently opposed my suggestion, some even condemning the fact I said such a thing in the first place," He said, "It was what happened afterward, however, that robbed me of any place in Ulthuarian society."

"That being?"

"I was wrongfully framed for the murder of a respected Elven noble, one of the Six Ruling Lords of Ulthuar, Gelethor Hawkwing."

"And the perpetrator?"

"I do not know, but I have reasons to suspect that at least one of the other five Ruling Lords plotted to pin the blame on me," Suggested Belarion, "If I were to make a guess on who it was, I would say Neldir Thornheart."

"Who would he be?"

Belarion snorted at the mention of his name.

"Neldir is a scheming snake, always looking to better his own political standing through the removal of any and all opposition to his policies of isolation. Neither I nor many of the nobles ever dared to trust any word uttered from his mouth, not even the other five ruling lords. Since my agenda ran counter to his, I would not be surprised if he was the culprit."

I nodded grimly; politics was so damned ugly, it has the capability of drawing out the worst in people, and breeding some of the most notoriously corrupt politicians to ever exist. Yet the battle of politics must be fought if one sought to steer the country towards a better path, a battle fought against those who would scheme and plot for their own selfish interests.

"How did you come to be framed for it, though?" I asked, "It might just be conjecture on my part, but I don't think it's that simple for a member of royalty to be framed for murder."

Belarion shook his head, saying, "You do not begin to understand the complexities of Elven politics, Kiryu. They didn't need hard evidence of my assumed involvement in Gelethor's murder. Just the mere accusation was enough to turn me into a target for assassination overnight."

"And how did they come to accuse you?"

"It was one night, when I went to visit Gelethor in his study, supposedly for a private conversation regarding the most recent meeting between the Elf Lords. When I entered, however, he was dead, lying in a pool of his own blood. A dagger planted into his back."

I narrowed my eyes at this; I could already see where this was going.

"His hand clutched a letter when I investigated his body, and when I opened it, it said only these words: 'Beware the traitors within'. Not long after, three of his household guard entered the room, and they saw me with the body and bloodstained letter. Thinking me the culprit, they attempted to arrest me, but I managed to escape. Before long, however, the whole Kingdom was in a state of alarm, and I barely managed to commandeer a small boat I used to escape my home and those looking to claim my life."

"And here you are, a disgraced noble wrongfully framed for murder of an Elf Lord, hunted and exiled by your own kind."

Belarion nodded sadly.

"It is never more disgraceful than to be outcast by one's own kind, Kiryu, especially one you've loyally served for years," He said.

I patted him on his shoulder, and as he looked into my eyes I said to him, "Bad things may have happened to you before, but now that you are here, you are free to choose the path you wish to take. Whether you will live a life of exile here or return to your home and right the wrongs of the Elven Lords is up to you. What matters is that you do not hold lingering regrets over the past, and instead look to the present and future."

"But what if my pursuers manage to claim my life, preventing me from setting things right?" Asked Belarion, doubt clear in his eyes.

"Fate is never set in stone, Belarion. What's important is that no matter what happens to you, do not stray from the path you choose, and carve your own fate by your own hands, your own actions. No one can take charge of your fate, Belarion. Only _you_ can."

Belarion nodded at this, his lips curling into a slight smile.

"I... will remember what you have said."

IIOII

It was the next morning, and today was the day we would take care of Waldmörder once and for all. As I got up from my bed, however, I soon saw that old man Gabriel was nowhere in sight. He couldn't have gone to hunt the bear on his own, did he?

A fragrant smell wafted into my nostrils, and I could see a pot of stew heating over the fireplace. Seems he decided to cook me some breakfast before he left. Looks half-empty, but at least there's something to eat.

Wolfing down my stew and soaking the pot in water (I would wash it later), I quickly gathered my belongings and exited the house, and began to look for any sign of the old man, asking around if anyone had seen him pass by. Unfortunately, all the replies I got were 'I didn't see him', 'He was nowhere in sight', and so on. Damn it, old man, you're still as suicidal as always.

The village quickly entered a state of panic, and the village elder Adalard quickly organised search parties to comb the mountain paths for any sign of the old man.

"I can't believe he just up 'n went wit'no word!" Exclaimed Adalard, "Bloody 'ell, I know the ol' bastard's set on killin' Waldmörder, but this is just madness!"

Taking a deep breath, Adalard then said, "Well, ain't no use just whinin' and whimperin' 'bout his disappearance. Best we can do now's just wait 'n hear 'bout any word o'him."

I nodded grimly, and resigned myself to waiting. Belarion, however, came to me, saying, "We've searched every corner of Gabriel's house. All of his hunting equipment was taken."

Damn it. He would have reached the bear's hiding place by now, and by the time anyone reaches there he would have reached there first. Moreover, he knew every hidden pathway in the mountain, and would have a head-start before us. If only there was a faster way to go there...

"Are there any animals capable of scaling the mountain paths?" I asked Adalard.

He shook his head, saying, "I'm 'fraid we ain't got no mounts for ya t'use, if that's what you're askin' fer."

I cursed, not believing my luck. If the village had no mounts, anyone of us would have to go up the mountain on foot. Unless...

I decided to rush back into Old man Gabriel's house, taking all of my hunting gear and whatever potions and poultices I could carry, and I quickly made my way towards the mountains. If he can teleport me to the summit, I'll get there in no time at all. It's a risky gamble, since he doesn't really concern himself with us 'mortals', but it's worth a try.

"Wait! Where are you going!?" Belarion shouted after me, seeing that I was not stopping in my tracks.

"I'm going to save the old man!" I shouted back, "You stay here and help the villagers however you can!"

"This is madness! If you go, death is certain!" He countered!

"Just stay here! I'll return safely, trust me!"

Sorry, Belarion, but I'm bringing him back, even if it kills me.


	5. Kill or Die, Part IV

**Chapter V: Kill or die, part IV**

Thankfully, I didn't have to run far up the mountain; with the local wildlife still scared shitless from the Wolf King's roaring, I've made good time and found his cave where I took shelter a few days ago.

"Wolf King!" I shouted as I entered the cave, "Are you inside!? It's me, Kiryu! Sorry to bother you, but I need your help!"

"Your shouting is needless, Human," Said the Wolf King from behind me, causing me to gasp in surprise, "I could already hear your footsteps leagues away. I must say, though, few would ever dare so brazenly approach a being such as I, and in the heart of the wilds which teem with potentially hostile wildlife. Tell me, little girl, what reason have you come here for? Certainly not to bore me, I hope."

"I think you can already guess, but I need your help getting to that bear's hideout," I said.

A snort escaped the Wolf King's nose, and he said, "To save the old man, I presume?"

"Without a doubt," I said, "And right now, I need your speed to help me get there fast; I've got no time to waste."

"Truly? What about those villagers of yours? Do they not have any means of aiding your endeavour?"

"No, they don't, and they don't dare ascend the mountain for fear of the bear," I stated, "Therefore, you're my best option of getting up there."

And my only option right now.

Again the Wolf King snorted, and he said to me, "What makes you think I will aid you so willingly for a man who has a death wish?"

I merely said, "I won't ask you to do this for free; if you want, I'll do you a favour in exchange. Sound good?"

At this, the Wolf King levelled a hard gaze at me, his amber eyes flashing slightly, and I was hoping to myself I did not have to deal with an angry Wolf King before rescuing the old man.

"You presume to bargain with me, mortal?" Asked the Wolf King, a daring tone in his words, "Do you even know what predicament you will be beset with, should you potentially anger me by uttering the wrong words in my presence?"

I nodded wordlessly.

The Wolf King maintained eye contact with me, saying nothing as I anxiously waited for his response, and my anxiety was starting to make me impatient. Come on, Wolf King... just answer me already.

He threw his head back and laughed, a tone of amusement in his voice.

"I wonder how long has it been since I met someone with your gutsiness..." Said the Wolf King, "Few would ever dare try to bargain with me so brazenly, and even fewer would try to solicit my aid on my doorstep. Elves, Dwarves, Humans and others alike, too few would ever muster the courage to do what you just did, for fear of their lives."

He turned around and said to me, "Climb on my back. I will take you to your destination."

I would have questioned his sudden willingness to help me, but that was the last thing on my mind as relief washed over me at those words. I climbed onto his back, my hands grabbing handfuls of his fur as I steadied myself and prayed that I would not fall off his back.

"Know this, however; I will only take you to Waldmörder's adobe. That will be the fullest extent of my help you will receive," He said, "Do not expect me to kill the beast for you."

I merely nodded, saying, "I know. Come on, we don't have time to waste."

Together we rode towards the bear's hideout, and I was caught off-guard by just how fast he was running; this was the first time I ever rode an animal, and all I could do to keep myself from falling was leaning onto the Wolf King's back and holding on for dear life. I could feel the cold wind stinging my face, and more than once I had to narrow or close my eyes to keep them from feeling the biting cold wind.

This was definitely not a comfy ride, but I endured it for the sake of rescuing Gabriel.

I could only hope we reach there in time, before Waldmörder makes minced meat out of the old man.

IIOII

Remember what I said about the Wolf King being fast? Scratch that, he's _damned fast_. Not more than five minutes - or maybe around there - and already I could see the cave that served as Waldmörder's home. I saw the old man being thrown around by the bear's mouth, and his blood was being spilled.

The Wolf King stopped short of our destination, just out of sight of the bear and the old man, and I took it as my cue to dismount; it'll be up to me from here on out.

I nodded to the Wolf King in thanks, and he turned and left.

Wasting no time, I quickly picked up a stone and threw it at the bear's face. It struck, though it did not seem to have wounded him. It did the trick, though, as he turned around to face me in his rage.

The Old man, seeing that I was here, tried to say something to me, but with how far I was from him and the bleeding wounds on his abdomen, it seemed clear to me he was unable to shout, and what words he mouthed were lost on the howling winds. I turned to face the bear, ready to rumble.

"Alright, Waldmörder, time for the hunter to catch its prey," I said, cracking my knuckles.

The bear circled around me, his eyes warily eyeing my movements as I did the same. Neither of us moved, each trying to gauge the other's strengths and weaknesses. Then he charged at me, a paw raised as he prepared to strike with his claws. I sidestepped him and landed a solid punch to the face, yet that hardly fazed him. Seriously, how much can this guy take?

I had to dodge again as he attacked, and again I struck with my fist. The bear's movements were damned fast for someone his size, and more than once I narrowly managed to avoid being hit. At this point, my fight with Waldmörder was little more than a slugfest, a continuous repeating cycle of dodging followed by punching. Granted, I hit really hard, but the bear's a tank, and he's soaking up the damage he's getting.

Even tanks don't last forever, though; even he has a limit to how much of a beating he can take. Unfortunately, there's only so much stamina I have, and I was already beginning to tire.

Just then, the winds kicked up, and they became so strong I had to cover my eyes to prevent snowflakes from getting into them. When I opened them, Waldmörder was nowhere in sight, and I cautiously watched my surroundings for any signs of the killer bear.

I heard footsteps behind me, and I turned to see the bear charging at me. Quickly I used my hands and held tightly onto his jaws as the momentum of his charge pushed me back. Before I could retaliate, I felt sharp pain on my right cheek as Waldmörder swung his claws at me, and I stumbled before falling onto my bottom. The bear wasted no time pouncing on me, and I summoned my strength to push back the bear's salivating face from mine.

Then I reared back my hand, and punched his face, and with the bear being staggered I kicked him squarely on his forehead. With the bear now lying on the ground it was my turn to pounce on him, and I punched his face again.

Repeatedly my fists impacted on the bear's face, and blood was being spilled from his mouth and eyes. Again and again I hit him, and I was not stopping; I felt the adrenaline flow through me like a drug, and I was high on it. My head rang with the desire to kill the bear, and all I could hear was my heartbeat, the howling winter winds, and the sound of bone cracking under the force of my blows.

I lost count of how many blows I rained on him, and still I kept on hitting the bear, until at last, he was not moving anymore, and he ceased to breathe.

It took me a little while for me to notice Waldmörder was dead, but when I finally did, the effects of the adrenaline subsided, and I could now feel the pain of my bruised fingers and cheek wounds more acutely. I panted heavily, tired from the ordeal of my fight with Waldmörder, and it took a while for me to catch my breath.

Yet I still had the energy to quickly move to Gabriel's side, and I quickly reached into my rucksack for a healing potion. Gabriel, however, stopped me with a hand on my arm, and when I looked at him, I could now see the extent of his injuries.

He was bleeding copiously from multiple holes on his abdomen, all lined horizontally, and I could instantly tell the bear chomped down on his belly. With how heavily he was bleeding, the woulds must be deep, and his spine's probably broken as well. I wanted very much to heal him to the best of my ability, but he merely said, "Leave it. My body's broken, there's no saving me."

His words were soft, and with how much pain he's in, that's the extent of how loudly he can talk. He gestured for me to lean in closely, and as I did, he said to me, "In my home... there's a strongbox hidden underneath one of the floorboards marked by the carving of a fish. I want you to open it and takes its contents."

He reached into his pocket with a weak, trembling arm, and he pulled out two small keys which he handed to me.

"This is t'key... to t'strongbox," He said to me, "The other... for t'chest next t'my bed. Once ya o-open them... take all their contents."

The old man's eyes were beginning to close, and I said desperately, "Hey come on, don't die on me, old man."

"...It's fine," He muttered, "I was expectin' this sooner 'r later."

He lifted a hand to touch my face, and as he did a wave of light flashed where the claw marks were, and the pain of my wounds began to fade.

He then said, "Y'know, ya remind me of me daughter, so headstrong and rushin' head first into danger, always ready t'save those she cared for wit'no concern fer her own safety."

"Old man..."

"Could y'do this foolish old man a favour?" He said, and I nodded in response.

He then said, "In t'chest, there's a necklace inside. Take it... take it to my daughter. She lives 'n Adenow t'the East of here."

"Her name?" I asked.

"...Adalwolfa."

And he went limp.

A tear streaked down my face, and I closed his eyes. Damn it, old man, why did you have to be so foolish?

"Kiryu!" I heard someone call.

I turned to face Belarion as he approached me, a trio of hunters behind him. He now wore simple weather fatigues, which looked less well-crafted than his armour, a thick fur cloak around his shoulders.

Seeing me and Gabriel, they rushed towards me, and Belarion was quick to ask me, "Kiryu, what happened?"

I looked at him with eyes full of sorrow, and he saw the limp body of Gabriel next to me.

He knelt down and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, saying, "I am sorry."

I said nothing in response, and I moved to carry Gabriel's body as we descended the mountain, the other hunters carrying Waldmörder tied to a stick on their shoulders. Nothing was said as we made the trek back, not that anyone of us was in the mood to talk.

IIOII

It was with little celebration that we returned to the village, the bodies of Gabriel and Waldmörder plain for all to see. I saw joy in the eyes of many when they saw the dead bear, and sadness when they saw the dead man Gabriel. Some of the children questioned us, asking why Gabriel was not moving, and why his clothes were stained red. I wished I did not have to tell them that Gabriel was dead, but that would be lying to them about one of the integral aspects of the cycle of life, and so I remained silent despite their pestering.

For the entire journey back, Kiryu's eyes reflected nothing but sorrow, and her's was deep; it was so deep it was enough to emotionally scar anyone who bore it, enough to make them apathetic, cold and distant, damaging them for the rest of their lives. Her pain must be great, not simply from the death of old man Gabriel, but perhaps from other traumatic events in her past, and they made her look so much older.

The village elder, Adalard, came to us, asking, "What in Balgur's name's goin' on? What happened?"

I said to him with great sadness, "The bear is dead, but so is Gabriel."

The elder's face fell at those words, and he muttered, "Damn it, Gabriel, why'd you hafta be so suicidal?"

"He passed with peace and dignity," said Kiryu, and we turned to face her, "He knew full well what he was getting into, and he did so regardless of the risks to his life - he accepted certain death as a possibility in his line of work. Through his sacrifice, the village will once again know peace, and you don't need to fear going up the mountain anymore."

"Kiryu..." I muttered.

"Therefore, the least we can do for him in return is to give him a proper funeral, and carry on with our lives," She said, "Can you go get Gertrud? Tell her we have a funeral service to perform? I'll go get the wood we need."

"O'course, Kiryu," Said Adalard, "I'll go gather everyone."

IIOII

Later that afternoon, the whole village was gathered around the funeral pyre we had prepared for Gabriel, and Gertrud was there, pouring a jug of oil onto the wood. Placing the empty jug onto the floor, she lifted her hands to the air and intoned, "Balgur, Almighty God of Nature, we pray to you now as we grieve for the passing of one of our brothers. As he enjoyed the blessings of Nature in life, so shall he return them to Nature itself in death. We pray, O Balgur, that he may be permitted entrance to your realm, and may he feast with his brothers and sisters in the halls of our forefathers."

Gertrud then looked to Kiryu, and she said, "Kiryu, if you will."

She nodded, and she walked towards Gabriel's funeral pyre with torch in hand. Before lighting it, she placed her hand on Gabriel's arm, and though her words were soft, my elvish hearing allowed me to hear her say, "You deserve better, Old man. Find your way home, and be free."

Then she set the pyre ablaze, and she stepped back as we watched the fires lick the corpse. Greater and stronger the fires burned, and a plume of smoke rose into the air. Gradually, the fires died down, until they no longer burned, and in the place of the pyre only ash remained. By then, all the villagers, save Adalard, Gertrud and her apprentices, Wilhelm and Amelia, had left and went about their lives.

We few remained, myself and Kiryu included, and the young woman went to collect the ashes into a small bag. Once the bag was full, Gertrud went to Kiryu and said, "We'll take o'er from here, young girl."

Kiryu nodded, and handed Gabriel's ashes to the old shaman. She and Adalard quickly left, leaving me alone with Kiryu. I walked towards her, concerned about her emotional state, and asked, "Are you well?"

She shook her head.

"No, Belarion. I'm not," She said in response.

"Do you need time alone?" I asked.

"...For a while, yes," She said, "Could you... wait for me outside Gabriel's house? There's something I need to look into."

I could do nothing but nod, having nothing to say; as a Captain in the Ulthuari Army, I have seen many perish in battle, both Elf and others, and I have seen many families grieve for the passing of their loved ones - sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. Some were my friends, and I could empathise with Kiryu on the pain of losing one you cared for.

But I have never been one to comfort another who suffered such loss; I usually left them alone and gave them privacy as they came to terms with their loss. And right now, the best I could do for her, as a friend, is to be there for her.

IIOII

I entered the house, and immediately I could tell it did not feel the same without Gabriel. It just felt so... empty... without him.

After finding the strongbox, I opened it with one of the keys Gabriel gave to me, and I found a few things inside; about a hundred gold coins, a necklace of silver with the pendant shaped like a wolf's head, and a single letter, perhaps just recently written. I opened the letter to look at its contents.

 _Dear Kiryu,_

 _By the time you read this, I may already be dead, but that's not what I want to say here. Rather, it's something I should have told you earlier, regarding my reasons for hunting_ _Waldmörder._

It's a little late for that, isn't it, old man?

 _It all started nine years ago, when I was living in the city. And I wasn't the humble hunter you and the village knew me as. No, I was part of a gang of bandits that roamed the countryside, terrorising and looting villages wherever we went, and were part of a smuggling cartel that dealt in the trade of all substances in very limited circulation. We were camping one night after a successful raid on a village stocked with food and wine._

He was a bandit? Huh, that's really unexpected.

 _As we feasted and made merry well into the night, we could hear roars in the distance, and that was when we saw a giant, black mass come down on us. None of us stood any chance of killing the bear as it tore us apart one by one, and by the time the bear was done, all save me were dead. I was lucky enough to have been knocked into some bushes nearby, and had I not feigned death, I would not be here at all._

 _But I was alone, and when I thought I'd die for sure, that's when I met my saviour. And there's something else you should know, Kiryu. My real name's not Gabriel. That's the name of the Hunter who saved me._

So his name was just an alias? But why take someone else's name? He did not seem to care for riches, and a Hunter hardly amasses what Gabriel has.

 _Gabriel was a magnanimous man, and he was my mentor and friend. I'd never forget the time we spent together, hunting in the wilderness. But back then, I still thought of robbing him and leaving him for dead, because he stashed quite a bit of wealth in his home. On one of our hunting trips, I even aimed my bow and arrow at him, but I could not kill him. How could I kill the man who save me, fed me, taught me how to hunt and survive?_

 _But that was when he disappeared under the same black mass that killed my fellow bandits, my fellow brothers and sisters._

So he wanted to avenge those who fell to Waldmörder. In a way, I can understand why he hunted him for so long; vengeance can be a powerful motivator.

 _When I saw Gabriel die, I decided then, that I would repent and live a new life, become a better person. Therefore, I took his name and identity, and lived with it since._

 _If, by any chance, you happen to blame yourself for being unable to save me from myself, don't. I chose to live the life I led, and though we did not know each other for long, I am honoured to call you my friend. May Balgur grant you his blessings._

 _Farewell._

 _Gabriel_

Gabriel... I wish I arrived in time to save you. But... thank you for your kind words.

I pocketed the money and necklace, and I moved to open the chest next to his bed, and inside I found two things; a double-handed battle axe with a haft of Weirwood and a double-bladed head of Winter Steel, and a full set of well polished armour, also crafted from Winter steel, the plates trimmed with silver. Granted, the design was pretty artless, but after a bit of inspection, their construction seemed to be sound, and remarkably immaculate. Seems the old man spared no effort in maintaining their spotlessness.

The helmet, however, was an exception; it was shaped to resemble a wolf's head, much like the pendant I found in the strongbox, and where the face would be shown through the open wolf's mouth, a face plate protected it, leaving two holes for the eyes and several holes at the mouth area for breathing.

Must be his souvenirs from his days as a bandit; probably as a high-ranking bandit in their group as well, given how expensive the armour looked. The size was a bit big, but I think it might still fit me for the journey. No fur cloak to keep me warm though, then again, I can just buy one or have Robert make one with a fur pelt.

Might as well try the armour on, see if I can wear it for the journey.

IIOII

I have to say, the armour actually fits me quite well, despite me having to tighten a few straps here and there; doesn't hold my assets in place though, and with no such thing as a bra to hold them in place, I had to improvise with a roll of bandages.

I heard someone knocking the door, and I heard Belarion saying, "Might I come in for a bit?"

"Come on in," I said, and he entered.

"Pardon the intrusion, I was merely asked to check on you, see how you are currently coping," He said, "By the way, whose armour is that?"

"...It was Gabriel's," I said, "He told me to take it, and everything else I found in his chest and strongbox."

Belarion nodded, and he came towards me, and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Do you want to talk for a while? Remove some of the burdens you carry on your shoulders?" He asked, concern evident in his face.

I inhaled deeply, and I briefly did not respond to his question. Memories of all the friends I knew flashed in my mind, many of whom were now dead. Rikiya, Nishiki, Shinji, Kashiwagi, Old man Kazama and Yumi, to name a few, and now Gabriel.

I closed my eyes, the pain of those memories a terrible reminder of the loss I've endured over the years.

"Kiryu?" I heard Belarion say, "Are you alright?"

I sighed, and as I turned to face him, I could tell from his eyes that he's a very perceptive man, experience from his dealings in Elven politics shaping that trait of his, no doubt. I said to him, "This is not the first time I've lost a good friend, nor would it be the last."

He nodded at that, and he said, "If you need someone to talk to, I will be here for you."

I smiled at that, and said, "Thank you."

IIOII

There wasn't much to do for the rest of yesterday, other than tan the bear's hide and rest and stock up on provisions for my journey. Right now, I've got my armour and weapons on me, and a new cloak of fur made from the bear's cured hide, the linen a slightly dark grey. In my rucksack was packed at least a week's worth of provisions, maybe a week and a half if I ration it properly, and some water skins I could refill if I found drinkable water.

It seemed a real pity for me to leave the village so early; barely a month into my stay here, and I was already treating it as a home. Still, Gabriel wanted me to do this last favour for him, and who am I to deny his final wish?

"So ye're really leavin', then?" Said Adalrd, who looked sad, "Real pity. Wished ya coulda stayed 'ere fer longer."

"I wished so, too, old man," I said, "But I have one last favour to do for the old man, and I'll make sure I fulfill it."

He sighed, saying, "Really a girl who ain't one to leave things undone, eh? Well, guess I can't force ya. Just take care, will ya?"

I smiled and nodded, saying, "I will, old man. And thank you for letting me stay in your village. I truly appreciate the hospitality."

"Ah, don't mention it. Ye're makin' me all sentimental and such."

"Kiryu!" I heard someone yell, and I saw Belarion approaching me, along with that boy Wilhelm. Both were dressed in the armour and looked ready for travel, both carrying their weapons and rucksacks that looked stocked with supplies, and fur cloaks of their own.

"Belarion? Wilhelm? What are you two doing here?" I asked them.

"Is it not obvious? We are accompanying you on your journey, Kiryu," Said Belarion.

"Wait, what?" I said, "Why follow me? Don't you have your own things to do?"

"Well, I am a stranger to these lands, and I do not know if my pursuers are still hunting me, so I believe my best chances lie with you, Kiryu," Said Belarion, "And I have yet to repay you for saving me from the wilds."

"Wilhelm?"

The boy answered bashfully, "Well... I guess y'could say I wanted t'explore t'world. Been curious on what it's like outside t'village."

"That's all, eh?" I said.

"Aye, that's right. If yer fine wit'it, mind if we come?" Said Wilhelm.

Bloody hell, people just can't seem to stay away from me for long, eh? Not that I mind.

"All right, you can come," I said, "Just be sure to not get your ass kicked."

They smiled in return, and together, we set off on our new journey towards the unknown.

Well, it's not really a journey, since we're just going to another part of Orso, but life itself is a journey, I suppose, and I've yet to experience all that Orso has to offer. Even so, I'll weather whatever life throws my way, as I always have.


	6. Journey to Adenow

**Chapter VI: Journey to Adenow**

The journey had been fairly uneventful since our departure from the village. There was still heavy snowfall blanketing the country, and the layer of snow that buried the paths was so thick it reached all the way to our ankles. I suppose that's a country far up in the northern hemisphere for you, so damned cold it might as well be a cold wasteland.

Even with my fur cloak on and whatever heat-producing enchantments were placed on the armour I wore, I could feel the brutal cold stinging my face, my breaths turning into frosty white mist each time I exhaled. Though compared with the cold I endured up the mountain, this was more bearable.

And regarding Belarion, he had a hood attached to his cloak, since his Elven ears could easily attract unwanted attention, so the hood acted as a temporary measure in concealing his ears.

"By the grace of Melandir, this cold weather is brutal," Belarion said, "Is this what they call the winter season in other lands? How is it possible these Humans can live in such an inhospitable land as this?"

Wilhelm smirked at that, saying, "We're a hardy people, Belarion. We Orsi have lived in this land fer o'er a millennium, and our forebears have long ago learned how t'adapt t'the harsh climate o' our country, and it's through their determination t'live and thrive that our people flourished and established t'Kingdom of Orso."

"If that is so, then I must commend your ancestors for their tenacity in the face of adversity," Said the Elf, "Our home never had anything like a winter season, or any of the four seasons I have heard from the other villagers from your home. In Ulthuar, it was perpetual summer all year round."

"I take it this your first time ever seeing winter?" I asked the Elf.

"Indeed it is, and this is most certainly an experience I will never forget," Said Belarion, "I pray the other lands around the world do not have so brutal a winter season were I to visit them, one day."

"That depends on the location," I said, "Some places, it can be a scorching desert with little rain. Other places, it could be a cold tundra, possibly colder than even here."

Belarion groaned at that, lamenting, "By Melandir, all of a sudden I now crave the perpetual summer of my homeland; it is far more preferable than this blistering cold we have to suffer.

"Ain't gonna happen anytime soon, Belarion," Said Wilhelm, "It'll be another two months 'fore t'snow starts t'thaw, so you'll hafta bear wit'it 'till then."

"Gah..." Belarion muttered, clutching tightly onto the folds of his cloak in an effort to minimise his exposure to the cold winds, "I hope this Adenow is not much further."

"Well, then stop complainin' and get movin'! We ain't gonna make it there sooner i'we dilly dally 'ere 'n there!" Wilhelm prompted.

I smiled in good humour, saying, "He's right, Belarion. We'd better move our asses before we freeze them off!"

IIOII

Little happened over the course of a week, save the times we temporarily stopped to warm ourselves, rest, and eat our meals before we continued on our journey. I'll admit, though, the winter in Sapporo didn't even come close to this cold I was feeling here in Orso, and I felt the need to eat more just to keep warm. Our rations mostly consisted of dried bread stuffed with meat, and the occasional wafer of fatty meat somehow preserved with a mixture of herbs.

Granted, the oily, fatty wafer tasted damned awful, like I was taking a lump of condensed oil into my mouth, but it was bearable, and it'd be a while before we could taste real food, so none of us could afford to be picky eaters.

One night, though, as we were just starting to pitch camp, Belarion suddenly halted in his actions and said to me, "Kiryu, we have company."

I could sense some people approaching, and when they stepped within sight, I determined they weren't going to talk nicely with us.

Each of them wore cheap-looking leather armour and roughspun fur cloaks of their own, and they wielded all manner of weaponry, ranging from axes to knives, spears and so on, but their weapons didn't look that well made, perhaps forged from cheap, low-quality steel. These men and women all bore faces with wicked expressions, and it seems we won't be leaving without a fight.

"Well, well, look what have we 'ere; two handsome boys and pretty lady," Said a man, "What brings you out 'ere, might I wonder? 'Cause ye're wanderin' into our territory without our permission, and we don't take kindly to that."

Said man was a burly one, decked in somewhat decent-looking iron armour of sorts. He wielded a large warhammer with one hand - a feat only a few could do - and bore a wicked smile like the others who accosted us. I knew he was the bandits' leader the moment I heard the others defer to him as their boss.

"We are merely travelling to the small city of Adenow," I said to the bandit leader, "Our business is our own."

"Really? Well, if y'want t'go there, I won't stop you, if y'do one thing for me," The bandit leader said, "Leave all yer gold and valuables 'ere, and we won't 'arm you."

He was lying straight to my face with those words; they had no intention of sparing us at all. Rather, they want to rob us and leave us for dead in the cold, and we didn't come this far only to surrender our belongings to some two-bit thugs.

"My answer is no," I said, cracking my knuckles, "And I shall say this you all of you: leave us be, or you'll regret it."

The bandits laughed at me for that threat; no surprise, since with them outnumbering us three to one - at least as far as I can tell, they have the advantage in numbers. Bastards like them often forget that numbers alone don't win battles every time, and this time's no different. Before long, the three of us will kick their asses and be on our merry way.

"So, a tough girl, eh?" Said the bandit leader in mockery, "Well, if that's yer answer, then prepare to die!"

And my fist stretched out, punching the first bandit to attack me squarely in the face. Stunned by my sudden display of strength, the bandits did not react until more of their number began to die by Wilhelm's axe, Belarion's sword, and both of their magics. Their bloodcurdling screams were enough to force the bandits to focus on the fight, and sent shivers down my spine each time they reached my ears.

Limbs were flying, heads were rolling, blood was being spilled, and bodies began to pile around us. The bandits, most of them inexperienced and green, were easily taken care of with precise and deadly attacks from us, and at our hands, they suffered all manner of injury. I, on one hand, made use of my hands and legs and surroundings to their fullest effect; punching their teeth out, slamming them into nearby trees, snapping their necks, they certainly weren't getting up anytime soon.

Wilhelm and Belarion, on the other hand, had done far worse to their victims than I did; the smell of charred flesh reached my nostrils from their side, and I kept my eyes averted as best as possible to not look.

Still, despite the bandits being outclassed by us, they refused to surrender or retreat, but this was because their leader and a few of his die-hard loyalists killed any who tried to flee, and this incensed me greatly.

"Don't ya dare run 'way from t'fight!" The leader bellowed, "If ya can't fight, I'll kill ya meself!"

I turned to face with a deathly glare, saying, "You killed your own men, just because they tried to run?"

"Heh! If they can't fight, they're worthless garbage, unfit t'be part o'my gang!" The leader said, his tone that of belittlement, "They know that, 'n they still did it! Therefore, their punishment's death!"

I gritted my teeth at this, and I said to him, "If you treat your men like disposable pawns, then you're nothing but a shitty, worthless excuse of a leader."

I felt some satisfaction at the livid expression on the bandit leader's face, and he shouted, "What did you call me?! I'll make sure I cut up that tongue o' yours!"

He swung his hammer at me in a vertical arc, which I easily dodged with a sidestep. He may have packed quite a bit of power in his swing, but he was quite slow, and I easily outclassed him in terms of agility and flexibility. But I wasn't one to drag out fights; I quickly rushed in for the kill, and with great force behind my swing, I punched him in the neck, and I heard the sound of bones snapping.

He fell to the ground and did not come back up, but I soon saw blood flowing out of his mouth. I then heard footsteps behind me, and I twisted my waist to avoid being cut by an axe that was aimed for my head. I took out my own, and swung back, and my opponent raised his axe to block my attack.

Yet where I expected the blade of my axe to be caught in the haft, it cut clean through like butter, as if the axe wasn't even there, and to my horror, it bisected him cleanly into two, and I could see his organs spilling out, decorating the snow-covered ground in a macabre display of bloodshed.

A few drops of blood entered my mouth, and its coppery taste filled my mouth. I had to resist the urge to gag and regurgitate, but shouts from around me forced me to ignore the body, and I focused back on the other bandits who tried to surprise me from behind. I swung my axe again, and it cut them to pieces, slicing through armour, flesh and bone like they were wet paper.

Seriously, Gabriel, what the hell is with your weapon? Even katanas don't cut so cleanly through the spine or through leather armour without some form of resistance.

Eventually, there was only one survivor left, and the lone woman quickly tried to crawl away from us, her eyes a dead giveaway of just how scared shitless she was of us. Too bad Wilhelm and Belarion were there to stop her, their weapons aimed at her in a threatening gesture.

"Enough," I told them, "We've already killed the rest of her gang, and she's scared shitless of us. She'll be no threat."

"Respectfully, I must disagree with you," Said Belarion, "If we do allow her to live, there's no guarantee she would not pose any danger to us in the future, and for all we know, this may not be the full extent of their strength."

"Elf's got a point, Kiryu," Said Wilhelm, "Out 'ere, we got all sorts o'dangers lurking in every corner o'these wilds, and wit' how dangerous t'roads 'ave become, we can't afford ta take chances. If we kill 'er, at least we ain't gonna 'ave some bandit scum lookin' ta hunt us in revenge."

I could not believe what I was hearing; kill this lone survivor so that we don't have to deal with any pursuers? Damn it, we've already killed so many, no need to go the extra mile and kill her, just because of this distinct possibility of danger in the future...

"P-Please, don't kill me!" Shouted the woman, "I-I won't tell anyone about this, I swear!"

I knelt down and looked her in the eye, and she was quivering where she sat. I then asked her, "Do you truly mean that?"

She nodded fast, too fast for my liking, and I then said, "I will warn you just this once; leave us alone, and do not come after us. And if you dare attempt to kill us again, I will end you. Am I clear?"

Again she nodded, her fear preventing her from speaking coherently.

"If you get it, then get the hell out of here!"

The woman shrieked, and she was quick to turn on her heels and run, screaming to the heavens as she ran.

Belarion stood at my side, and he said, "There is a good possibility she will not honour her word, Kiryu. You play a dangerous gamble."

I sighed, saying, "I'm just hate killing, and quite frankly there was no need to be so ruthless to her, even if she may rat us out."

"And that naievity may cost you greatly, one day," Said the Elf, "The real world is cruel, and such people may be ill-inclined to honour their word and leave you be."

"That will be my concern," I retorted.

Wilhelm merely sighed, saying, "Fine, fine, let's not talk 'bout this anymore. By the way, we oughta loot their bodies fer any coin they're carryin', along wit' as much junk as we can carry to sell later; can never be too careful with money nowadays."

We looted quite a decent sum of money - or what I'd call decent, since I've never done much trading with the local currency; about ninety silvers and nearly sixty coppers were pocketed by us, and we carried whatever equipment - the pieces in decent condition, at least - in our rucksacks. We don't have much space, though, so only a few weapons could be carried by us. The rest, we had to leave behind.

"I swear, whoever crafted these weapons has no sense of quality," Commented Belarion, who looked absolutely abhorred, "They ought to learn a lesson or two from Elven craftsmanship, or from the better of their peers."

"Oh, quit complainin'!" Said Wilhelm, "These bandits ain't got t'coin fer the kinda weapons 'n armour we got, so they gotta settle fer shoddy work due t'financial restraints, ya get me?"

"Does money have to be the deciding factor?" Asked Belarion.

"At times, yes," I said, "Besides, bandits having terrible equipment means they are easier to deal with, yes?"

"Hah! Can't argue with that, that's for sure," Said Wilhelm as he laughed, and soon we joined in as well. I'll admit, the relaxed attitude we have now was refreshing, a nice change from the earlier fight we had with the bandits, and also helps distract my mind from the bloodshed I had to witness.

I can't help but wonder, though, what can we really expect from Adenow once we reach the city? Will it be a place of thriving business and prosperity, possibly a haven for crime and all manner of illegal things, like Kamurocho? Or will it be a quiet and sleepy town, like Onomichi? Suppose I'll just have to wait and see.

IIOII

It took us yet another day, but after a day's worth of walking, we finally reached civilisation, having followed a few signposts that pointed us in the direction of Adenow. The map we had was fairly accurate, and without it we would've been lost on our way. It was late in the night when we reached Adenow, the night sky filled with glittering stars and a full moon that illuminated the night.

When we reached the town gates, we were stopped by one of the guards posted there, and he seemed to be outfitted with better armour than what those bandits wore. He approached us and said, "First time in Adenow, travellers?"

I nodded and said, "We're here to find some places to rest and sell some unwanted junk. Do you know where is the nearest inn?"

"If you want some warm food and comfortable beds, the Stout Mountaineer Tavern is the place for you. It's just down the street behind me, on your left side," He said, pointing behind him, "Peter's Trinkets is the place to sell off your junk and is just a stone's throw away from the Stout Mountaineer, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the store to open before you can do business."

"I see. Thanks for the information," I said to the guard.

"Just be sure to keep your nose clean here, and you should have a fairly pleasant stay," The guard said to me.

I nodded, and I said to the others, "Come on, guys. There's a tavern nor far from here."

"Finally, a place to eat and rest," Said Belarion, "I dread having to camp out in the cold wilderness for even a day more."

"Hopefully they'll 'ave some nice, hot stew, and good mead t'drink," Said Wilhelm, "Been a long while since I last had a sip o'mead. Wonder what city mead tastes like?"

The tavern was a rather well-maintained building, for a medieval-era place. Granted, it wasn't too fancy-looking or a very high-end place, but the facade was rather clean; the stone was free of moss, the thatched roofing looked like it was in decent condition, and the plaster seemed relatively new. The tavern's sign depicted a large mountain with its name engraved beneath, also relatively clean and well-maintained.

I pushed open the door, and as we entered, I found that the inside was quite clean and tidy as the outside, though neither was it particularly busy. Only about a handful of patrons were up drinking at this hour, and most seemed rugged and intimidating, though a few seemed to be decent folk as well. I could hear a young girl singing, and the soft strumming of a harp as her melodious voice filled the confines of the tavern, lifting our spirits.

The decor of the place seemed rather plain and spartan, with fur pelts and weapons decorating the walls, and the support beams and pillars decorated with wood carvings. The whole place was rather well-lit as well, but instead of torches and candlelights, the whole place seemed to be illuminated with some form of crystals of sorts, which glowed with a bright, iridescent light.

These crystals were as bright as those LED lights back home, yet when I squinted at them, I was surprised to find the light did not hurt my eyes at all. If anything, the light seemed easy on my eyes instead. Just how did this place come to possess these crystals, though? The village I lived in never had such things, as far as I'm aware, though perhaps it was an exclusion to the norm.

Almost everyone took notice of us when we entered, though they were quick to ignore us for the most part. We ignored them in return and approached a young man wiping his counter with a single cloth, who then took notice of us and said, "Welcome to the Stout Mountaineer. Name's Godric. We got food and drink, and warm beds. Ain't much else to tell."

"Some hot food and drink, please," I said to him, "And beds for the three of us."

He grunted, and shouted to the back, "Angela! Food for three! Make it snappy!"

"Coming!" Shouted a feminine voice from behind the slightly portly man.

"And what kinda drinks you'll be having?" Asked Godric, "We got honey mead, spiced mead, some ale, maybe even some simple wine. Take your pick."

"Honey mead f'me," Said Wilhelm.

"Wine, please," Said Belarion.

"And you?" The bartender asked me.

"...Some ale," I said.

A few moments later, we each had our drinks, and quickly helped ourselves to hot vegetable stew and roasted meat, wolfing down our meals. God, it feels good to have real food in your belly, especially after having to survive on nothing but hard bread, jerky and wafers of fatty meat for over a week. I swear, if I had to live with such rations for a week more, I'd go crazy for anything other than those things.

The ale tasted rather good as well, and went smoothly down my throat. Wilhelm seemed to be content with his meal, and Belarion wasn't complaining at all, so I'd say we're set for the time being.

"You lot ain't not from around here, are you?" Godric asked.

"No, we're not," I said.

"Why're you here, then? Business? Looking for work?" He asked, "You don't look dressed like ordinary people, that's fairly obvious, and neither do you strike me as mercenaries."

"To do a favour for a friend," I said, "After that, I guess it's just looking for odd-jobs and such."

"What about you two?" Godric asked the guys, "You don't look like you're here for work, what's your reason for being here?"

"We're really jus' accompanyin' her," Said Wilhelm, "Though y'could say we're travellin' folk."

"Really, now?" Wondered Godric, "Because I could swear you lot sans the lad here look like foreigners."

"We are not from around here, good sir," Said Belarion, "That is all we can tell you."

Godric nodded gruffly, and went back to wiping the counter, and we went back to eating.

"Who the hell're you?"

I turned to face the source of the gruff voice, and came face-to-face with a gruff-looking woman dressed in what seemed to be the tackiest-looking yellow shirt of sorts - a tunic, I remember it being called - adorned with brown snakeskin-like patterns, black breeches, and steel-tipped leather boots. Over her tunic, she wore a brown unbuttoned leather vest.

Her sense of fashion was so tacky, I was instantly reminded of Majima and his snakeskin leather jacket. Of course, I'm not one to talk, since Nishiki also laughed at my sense of fashion.

"Just a customer looking to rest for the night," I told her, "I will not be a bother, if that is what you're worried about."

"Oh, shut yer trap," She said threateningly, "Now you listen 'ere, I don't know why Godric here's taken a likin' t'you, but if y'want t'enjoy yer stay 'ere, there's one rule y'gotta follow at all times: Hands offa him. Understand?"

"Olga, that's enough out of you," Said Godric firmly, "They're my customers, and I would appreciate you not ruining their night."

That seemed enough to persuade Olga to desist, and she quickly said to Godric, "But Godric-"

One look from Godric, and Olga relented, though she said to me, "We ain't done, ya bitch."

And she promptly stormed off and left, though not before saying to Godric with an apologetic expression, "See ya 'nother time, Godric."

"Sorry about that," Said Godric, "Usually she's not so hostile towards others, but for some reason she seems to take offense to your presence here."

"It's fine," I said, "It's not the first time I've dealt with such rowdy people."

"But you did almost have your night ruined by her," Said Godric, "Tell you what, as compensation, your meals are free for this night. They're on the house."

"Are you sure?" Belarion asked Godric, "I do not mean to sound cynical, but we have only just met each other. For you to suddenly extend to us this much graciousness..."

"Ah, shut yer trap," Godric waved off dismissively, "When I say it's on the house, I mean it. As for why... let's just say I've taken a shine to your pretty lady friend here, you get my meaning."

"I do!" Said Wilhelm, "It's a strange logic, but it makes sense t'us, don't it?"

And the guys all shared a laugh. Ah, good times. Always makes me feel glad to be alive.

IIOII

"...Right, these rooms are yours for a night. Give a holler if you need anything."

All the rooms only had two beds max, so we had to rent two for the three of us. Belarion and Wilhelm would take one, I would take the other. My room had a chest for valuables, a wardrobe for clothes, and a nice single bed. Perfectly functional with all the things a traveler needed when staying in a tavern. It wasn't anything like renting a room at a hotel, but as I slid out of my armour into my clothes and lay down on the bed, it instantly felt like heaven.

Sleeping in a cot could feel so uncomfortable, it was like lying down on a hard concrete floor instead. It was warm, and helped me stay alive in my sleep, but nothing beats a real bed.

I unconsciously let out a sigh as I stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep as thoughts raced through my mind.

I wonder... after I do this favour for Gabriel, where else should I go, or should I stay here in Adenow? Try to find work for some payment?

I've never given much though to what I should do in my new life when I first came here; I thought only of living out my days in that remote village, but after hunting that bear, and my setting out to fulfil Gabriel's last wishes, I could not help but wonder now, if I should merely return to the village, or take the opportunity to explore the world I now live in; it seems such a waste to just stay confined in the village, now that I think of it, and I feel the desire to see more of this land.

Besides, Wilhelm wanted to explore the wider world, and if I were to go back after this, he'd be disappointed, and I'd rather not disappoint a boy I've come to regard as a good friend. Belarion, on the other hand... I'm not sure what I should do with him. I mean, he has nowhere else to go after being exiled from his home, and I'm not so heartless as to leave him to fend for himself.

Ah well, guess I'll have to decide that another time. For now, time to sleep.

 **A/N: I'm not going to be able to maintain this updating speed for a while longer, as I will have to resume studies soon, just so you know. Enjoy the chapters, regardless.**


	7. A new Job

**A/N: Took a while to write this; long school hours and a general tiredness after school, coupled by having to study after school has left me unwilling to write on most days. Not to mention I had exams to prepare for, and the fact I had to send my computer for repairs for over a month left me with the inability to update for over a month and a half.**

 **I apologise for the long wait, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Chapter VII: A new Job**

A young boy came strolling into the Stout Mountaineer, happily humming a tune to himself as he walked inside. To most people, he was just an unassuming, carefree boy, with no noteworthy traits or skills to his name. Most of the people in the town, however, knew otherwise.

As he walked inside the tavern, some of the patrons looked at the newcomer, and they began muttering to themselves.

"Hey, isn't that the von Einstein brat? What's he doing here?"

"Wonder what's got him so happy? He get a woman or something?"

"Maybe he's looking to hire mercs or something, can't be any other reason he's come to this place."

The boy ignored the chatter being exchanged between the tavern's patrons as he sauntered around the place, his eyes inspecting every person as a jeweler would inspect gems for quality. For a few minutes, he focused on wandering around, none of the customers piquing his interest in any way.

That was until he heard footsteps coming from the staircase, and he turned to find three peculiar strangers walking down towards the bar, wiping the sleep from their eyes; one was a platinum-haired beauty of a woman, her face bearing scars in the form of claw marks; one was a silver-haired young boy slightly older than him, wearing what seemed to be shaman clothing; the last was a rather tall, very handsome specimen of a man, with flawless skin and toned physique and silken smooth golden hair. His head, however, was obstructed by a hat that he wore, its flaps covering his ears.

"Ah! That was a damned good night's rest, if I say so meself!" Said the shaman, stretching his arms.

"The beds were not as comfortable as what I am used to, but it certainly is better than sleeping out in the wilderness," Said the handsome man.

"Have to agree with you there, Belarion," Said the woman, "I'm still not used to the cold even after more than two weeks in the mountain."

The three then sat down at the bar counter, where the innkeeper Godric was quick to serve them bowls of hot stew and mugs of water, and the three quickly dug into their meals with gusto.

With his interest piqued, the boy decided to approach them, taking a seat next to the woman as he said to her, "Haven't seen your type around here, before. Are you new here?"

"We are," Said the woman, "Why the sudden question, though?"

"Well, I guess you could say I've taken an interest in the three of you," Said the boy, "Name's Erhart. Erhart von Einstein. Yours?"

"Kiryu Kazuma," Said the woman, "The boy and the blonde-haired man are Wilhelm and Belarion."

"Kiryu? That's not a common name around here," Erhart remarked, "And come to think of it, you do not look like a local either, and neither does the tall blonde-haired man."

"The two of us are not from around here," Said Kiryu, "Though Wilhelm was born and raised here in Orso."

"Aye, and a fledgling shaman as y'can see 'ere," Said Wilhelm, "But what're ya doin' 'ere? Ya don't look like you're 'ere fer chit-chat."

"Well, I have come looking to hire mercenaries to work for me," Said Erhart, "And that's because I need them to guard a certain asset of mine from others looking to steal it from me."

"Can't you search for someone else to do it, for that matter?" Said Kiryu, "I mean, you look as if you have the resources to hire guards to keep watch over this asset of yours. And for your information, we are not mercenaries for hire. We merely came here to do a favour for someone, nothing more."

"Is that so? Do pardon me for mistaking you as mercenaries, in that case. As for why I need mercenaries, let's just say these thieves-to-be are not ordinary thieves," Said Erhart, "Such that guards alone are simply not enough to handle them should they come."

"And that is why you decide to approach us? To have us guard this secret, valuable asset for you?" Asked Belarion.

The boy nodded.

"You look far more capable of handling yourselves in a fight than my family's private army - more than most mercenaries, as far as I can tell, which is why I want to hire you three," Said Erhart, "Of course, I will pay you handsomely for this, should you do your job, but if you do not want to do it, I will not force you."

"Can you give us a moment? We need to discuss this," Said Kiryu.

"Of course, take your time," Said Erhart.

IIOII

I simply can't believe my luck; not a day here in Adenow and immediately I get a job offer thrown my way, one that involves guarding a valuable asset I don't know about for a young boy who has the guts to try hiring mercenaries by himself. Seriously, though, just what is he trying to guard from others? And just how valuable is it that he needs hired help to guard it?

The boy seemed to be about nine or ten years old, fair skin, black hair and dark blue eyes were his features. Didn't look very different from an average boy, save that he looked a little masculine and was dressed in clothes most civilians wouldn't wear - at least from what I've seen. Yet when I look into his eyes, I feel as if there's something... strange to this boy, something I can't exactly place my finger on.

"What d'you think we oughta do?" Asked Wilhelm, "Should we accept his offer?"

"I don't know," I said, "Though I am tempted to accept it, since it means we get payment for doing this job; I've actually considered finding some form of work for to do for money, though as you can see, it found us."

Belarion stroked his chin thoughtfully, saying, "On one hand, he is offering us work that, if his word is anything to go by, offers great compensation should we complete it. On the other hand, we do not know what dangers we may face in the course of our work, and for all we know, these dangers may be too much for us to handle alone; far too much about this job offer is unknown, and I believe it would behoove this Erhart to tell us more details, at least."

I nodded at his assessment, and I turned to face Erhart, saying, "Before we take this job, I want to first know just what are we guarding for you."

"I suppose that's to be expected," Said Erhart, who then leaned in to whisper, "The very thing I am asking you to guard is, in fact, a farm. One that produces sugar which I export within and outside of Orso for great profit."

Wilhelm spat out his drink in surprise, saying, "What? The 'ell d'you mean, ye're-"

I held up a hand, saying, "Not too loud, Wilhelm."

Almost everyone else was looking our way at this point, and after a quick apology on our part, they thankfully went back to their own things, giving us the privacy we needed.

I then asked Erhart, "A sugar farm? Doesn't sound too valuable to me."

At that, Wilhelm shot me the most disbelieving look I ever saw from him, and he whispered sharply, "Are y'daft!? Sugar's damned expensive t'buy and hard t'cultivate! We couldn't even afford a single pinch o' it wit'our money! One small bag's worth's o'er least a few gold!"

"Wait, what?"

It was my turn to be surprised; sugar was this expensive here? And if Erhart is really running a sugar farm, there'll be plenty of cutthroat businessmen looking to seize this literal gold mine for themselves. No wonder he needed mercenary help.

"Pardon me for saying this, but I have never heard of this 'sugar' before," Said Belarion, "Is it truly that valuable?"

"Valuable to the point trading caravans transporting it have been thoroughly looted, though they did not belong to me," Said Erhart, "Hence, my need for skilled mercenaries as guards."

I nodded at this.

"I see," I said, "Where is this sugar farm, if I might ask?"

"I can't say it here for privacy reasons," Said Erhart, "All I can say is that it is at the edge of town, far from the city walls, in an inconspicuous place near the border with the Alsacian Empire. So what do you say? Do you accept my offer?"

I looked to the other two, and we shared nods, and we then told him, "We'll take up your offer."

IIOII

I will have to admit, when Erhart mentioned he was running a farm, I didn't expect him to be running the medieval equivalent of a _greenhouse_ \- at least he calls it such _._ The whole building was as large as a mansion, about three stories high or so, and most likely had space to grow as many crops as a decently-sized farm or something. Maybe it's just a wild guess on my part, since I've never been to any farms in my previous life.

But it seems his farm doesn't consist only of the greenhouse itself; surrounding it was a rather expansive area that we learned held as many as four farm plots, each with enough space for building a small house, and a few storehouses that undoubtedly were for storing all produce from his farm, and a single factory of sorts, one that we learned was for processing the sugar harvested from this farm and producing sugar sweets that he exported to many parts of Orso.

The whole farm itself was built into a cliffside, the rock edifices providing natural protection against strong winds that would otherwise uproot crops before they were fully grown, and from heavy snowfall that would bury the soil in snow. The plots of farm soil were empty, nothing growing on them, but in one section of the farm, I could see lines of pots, each with plants of sorts growing in them, some of them I recognised from the few times I picked herbs from the mountain for Gertrud and her apprentices.

"Y'own all this land?" Wilhelm asked, disbelief clear in his eyes.

"Aye, I do," Said Erhart, "Granted, I initially did not own this much land when I first started farming operations here, but a year of hard work, perseverance, and great profit allowed me to earn the money needed to expand the farm and build much-needed facilities to increase our productivity."

"You must be a rich merchant, then, boy," Said Belarion.

"Oh, I am," Said Erhart, a smile creeping onto his lips, "But I plan to earn much more gold in the future; mark my words, I will be the richest man yet!"

And Erhart went to mumbling to himself, and the creepy look in his eyes as I could make out him saying 'money' time and again like a damn mantra, it was blatantly obvious that he was exceptionally greedy for money.

"And how rich would you like to be?" Asked Belarion.

And with a dangerously bright gleam in his eyes, he said, "How rich, you ask? It is simple: I will be the richest man in Orso - no, the whole continent! I refuse to be satisfied with the money I possess until it is enough to fill oceans and form mountains! My personal treasury will be so massive, I'm going to spend all my says swimming in gold!"

And he let out a raucous, hearty, and perhaps maniacal laughter, those gleaming eyes of his never fading.

Dear God, what kind of employer have we got?

"I am beginning to regret asking my earlier question," Said Belarion, an aura of exasperation about him.

"Tell me about it..." I muttered.

As we walked towards the greenhouse, I could see a few children and adults tending to the herb garden, some of the children no older than about seven to ten years old, a few of them in shaman's garb. Personally, I wondered if the children were hired child labor, and if child labor was actually legal in Orso, but given I'm in a fantasy, medieval-esque world, child labor might be common in times such as these. If such a thing were practiced in Japan, though, there'd definitely be an uproar about it.

At the very least, the children don't look worked to the bone; they were, in fact, very healthy and seemed to be visibly enjoying their work.

When we entered the greenhouse, I immediately felt warmer inside - not as warm as most indoor buildings, but warm enough that I didn't need to wear my fur cloak inside once we entered. I let out a sigh of relief, basking in the warmth of the whole place. Kami, it was _heaven_ , compared to the brutal cold and Belarion eagerly took off their cloaks as well, and I could tell they were just as grateful for the warmth the greenhouse provided.

Looking inside, it was definitely spacious; the whole room we were in was large enough to house what seemed to be tall, vertical racks with containers in which grew plants of sorts, the top part with the leaves resembling that of a sweet potato - at least I think so. Dozens of such plants were growing, enough to potentially fill about a dozen large-sized crates. Said racks nearly reached the ceiling in height, about a story tall, and I wondered exactly how much could be grown in this place. Above the racks were the same kind of light crystal I saw used in the Stout Mountaineer, no doubt the source of light needed for the plants to grow.

At the same time, it seems other crops were being grown here as well - constituting a huge majority of the cultivated crops here; corn, tomatoes, potatoes, to name a few, were being cultivated in separate areas, meticulously tended to by the farmhands working in the greenhouse. Seems this is more than just a sugar farm, which I find is a very good use of this facility. Not that I'm a farmer, but if it were just cultivating one crop, I find that a huge waste of such a versatile building.

"Incredible..." Muttered Belarion, "To think Humans could ever manage to create a building solely dedicated to farming, and capable of growing so many plants in an environment protected from the harsh elements... what sort of magic is at work here?"

"I'm jus' as speechless as y'are, Belarion," Said Wilhelm, "Whole place must've cost a fortune t'build, and farmers'd probably look on wit' envy. But where's the sugar cane? I don't see none o'it."

Erhart chuckled at that, saying, "You are correct in saying the greenhouse was an expensive place to build; it cost me nearly a thousand gold coins to build, excluding the additional rooms and space I have added to this facility. And I hate to disappoint you, but no sugar cane grows here."

Wait, what?

"Are ya kiddin' me!?" Exclaimed Wilhelm in disbelief, the volume of his voice causing Belarion to wince, "How the 'ell can y'get sugar without sugar cane!? Everyone knows that!"

"Sugar cane's not the only source of sugar in the world, Wilhelm," Said Erhart, "In fact, I'm cultivating a different source of sugar, one that is easier to cultivate in greater amounts, and easier to process as well, and cheaper."

"And what's that?" I asked, curious as the others were.

"Look around you," Said Erhart, pointing to the racks where the plants grew.

Wilhelm gave the most incredulous look I've ever seen from him to Erhart, while Belarion and I just stared at him in confusion.

"...Don't go pullin' me leg," Said Wilhelm, "There's no way these plants'll ever produce sugar."

"Well, if it were any other plant, then they certainly won't," Said Erhart, "But sugar beet can."

"Sugar beet?" We all asked in unison.

"Well, this is the crop that is easier to cultivate and process, and it is much easier and cheaper to obtain the seeds for this crop," Said Erhart, "Besides, trying to grow sugar cane in a place such as this would unprofitable and unsustainable. Granted, the taste of the sugar from these beets differs from the sugar harvested from sugar cane, but it satisfies the demand for sugar nonetheless. If you will follow me, I will show you what a sugar beet looks like."

And we followed him to wherever these harvested sugar beets were being stored. Along the way, we saw a few doors leading to rooms, though since they lacked windows, we couldn't sneak glances of the rooms inside, though some of them had a strong sweet fragrance wafting through the narrow gaps in the doors. Eventually we reached a door, and we entered a storage room of sorts, and we found crates full of some kind of radish being neatly stacked on top of one another. To one side was a workstation of sorts, consisting of large pots over stoves of sorts, and above them were metallic objects of sorts.

From what I could glance, these metallic objects resembled some sort of grid-like cookie cutter, and I guess whatever's added to the pot is first cut into pieces through these cutters. I could also see moulds of sorts next to the pots, most likely where the pots' contents are emptied into.

"They're sugar beets?" Asked Wilhelm, taking one such plant in his hands, "They don't look different from them radishes."

Indeed, the sugar beets in question resembled daikon radishes in a way, save that they had darker, almost brownish coloured skin, and the leaves were fewer and of broader shape. They were also more conical in shape, and shorter as well.

I vaguely remember someone mentioning sugar beets back during my orphanage days, come to think of it, except I never paid any attention to what they were saying about it.

"The sugar beets and radishes do share similarities, but once these beets are properly processed, the end result is what you see here," Said Erhart, who held out a small plate containing brownish balls of sorts.

Looking more closely, I could see that they had a somewhat crystalline quality to them, almost resembling that of sugar. Could they be...?

"Go on, take one and give it a try," Erhart said.

And we each took one of these sugar balls, and popped them into our mouths. Immediately, my eyes widened as the familiar taste of sugar filled my mouth. Granted, it wasn't the taste of sugar I was used to, but I guess I could give it a passing grade. That boy Erhart... a damned genius is what he is, having used the sugar beet to produce a steady supply of these sugar sweets.

"T-This is sugar!?" Said Wilhelm in disbelief, "Bloody 'ell, it's good! It's a damned miracle! And t'think it all came from this radish-lookin' thing..."

And Wilhelm patted Erhart on the back with a hearty laugh, saying, "Well, y'done and won me o'er, boy. If y'need some good ol' bodyguards, y'got 'em eight 'ere! Jus' be sure t'keep some o'em f'me from time t'time!"

I think he's taking the job just so that he can have his fill of sweets. Oh well, at least he's convinced. Now, all that's left is Belarion.

"By the grace of Melandir, to think there was something so... sweet," Said Belarion, "And this was produced from processing these sugar beets?"

Erhart nodded, and the Elf said, "Interesting, to think something so seemingly insignificant has such value... how much of this product is circulated around the country, though?"

"Only one large barrel's worth or more at a time, I'm not so sure," Said Erhart, "It's already rare enough that nobles would willingly pay their whole fortunes for a sizeable amount, but it's even rarer and more difficult to obtain in Orso outside of my sugar sweet trade."

Belarion then stroked his chin with a finger, pondering about this. Nodding to himself and then to us, we exchanged looks of agreement.

I then said to Erhart, "When do we start work?"

Erhart clapped his hands together.

"Great!" He said, "Then we'll be starting work tomorrow at around 9 o'clock, and I expect you to report here punctually. And should any of you have additional concerns, please contact me by sending a letter or contacting my family members or one of my servants. With that said, I look forward to working with you three!"

He extended a hand, and I shook it, the gesture proof of our business contract being established.

IIOII

With time to kill before our job starts tomorrow, it was decided that we would spend more time familiarising ourselves with the city's layout, exploring the streets and narrow alleyways and experiencing all the city had to offer.

The city of Adenow was, in fact, both what I expected of a medieval European-style city, and what I did not; the buildings' architecture had a quaint, colloquially European-esque style to it, and the buildings themselves were structurally sound and made to last, considering the harsh winters this country was subject to. They were also more or less uniform in size, most not bigger than the average house with some notable exceptions, including the tavern, the guard barracks, the local temple, and of course, the von Einstein's keep.

There also seemed to be water fountains and what looked like pumps of sorts placed at regular intervals across every street of the town, ensuring convenient access to a clean supply of water to anyone living within a block's radius from anyone of them.

Granted, it was my first ever time in a medieval European city, and I only ever saw pictures of them from a few foreigner friends and acquaintances I encountered while I was still part of the Tojo Clan. I think one of them was from... Germany, if I remember. The few photos he showed me of his birthplace was of a few village buildings and shops, though they did not resemble the town's buildings much, I think.

Anyway, as I walked the streets, I thought that with less advanced technology, the sewage system would not be as advanced as what my world has - or at least, what countries are capable of constructing, and that the air would reek of foul stenches of... whatever constituted sewage.

God, I still remember that smell of filth assaulting my nose when I was scouting for Akiyama in the sewers, and dear Kami, I thought I would faint. Urgh, I get nauseous whenever I think of it, and I still remain unsure whether Akiyama's just used to the smell or just has guts of steel enduring such a smelly place for a hideout.

Yet thankfully, that does not seem to be the case here; the air was clean and pleasant smelling, free of any foul stench that would otherwise run rampant throughout the city. Looking to the sides of the stone-paved roads, I could clearly see drainage canals covered with stone slabs, notches carved into their sides. Seems that's the sewage system the city has, and a damn good one too, by the looks of it.

There's also a fair number of fountains and other water pumps of sorts located at regular intervals across every street, and their positioning was such that every one in a four block distance had access to a clean water supply. Have to hand it to whoever designed the city's layout - it was designed for optimal convenience to the regular passerby.

My walk around town's fairly uneventful; shopkeepers advertising their wares to passersby, guards patrolling the streets, the occasional greeting from a random person, all was good.

"Well, well, look who's struttin' 'round like a damn peacock."

I turned around to see the familiar face of that female version of Majima giving me the evil eye. And it seems she's brought three other goons with her.

"Goin' somewhere?" She taunted, flicking what seemed to be a larger steak knife in a gloved hand.

"Olga, was it?" I said, "I'm not here to cause any trouble, if that's what you're asking."

"Nah, it ain't that," Said Olga, "It's just... y'had the guts t'make look like a fool in front o' the man I love, y'know? And I don't like it."

So she's in love with that innkeeper Godric? Huh, seems she's jealous of me, probably thinking I'm going to steal her love interest from her, and I don't think any amount of talking's going to convince her that's not the case. Situation's terribly reminiscent of my first encounter with Kiyomi and Nagumo, come to think of it, and it seems history's repeating itself.

"That's not the case, I assure you," I said regardless, "But at the same time, I don't take kindly to you accosting me over such a trivial matter."

"Huh!? Y'got a lotta nerve talkin' like that t'me, y'bitch!" She said, her face contorted in anger.

One of her goons, however, a lean yet slightly masculine man no older than me - at least in physical age - tugged on her shoulder, saying, "Boss, can we go already? It's almost time for the meeting, and they can't begin without us being present."

"Shut it!" Said Olga, "Y'think I don't know that!?"

"But boss, we're late already, and you know what the blah blah blah blah..."

And as they were busy arguing with themselves, I took the liberty of walking away; I didn't have much to do for the day, but I certainly have better things to waste time on than listening to a gang leader's ranting.

I heard rapid footsteps nearing me, and then a tug on my shoulder. I turned around and narrowly avoided a fist to the face as I dodged her attack.

"Y'ain't goin' anywhere, y'damn peacock," Said a somewhat livid Olga, "Now stop runnin' 'n face me!"

"Boss, please, we don't have time for-"

"Shut up! I ain't lettin' this damn peacock do's she pleases 'ere!" Shouted Olga.

By now, we were drawing quite the crowd, and some of the town guard were busy steering citizens away from our argument, one of them moving between us as he said, "You are causing a public disturbance with your argument. If you must argue, do it somewhere private and not in public."

Olga's next course of action? Grabbing the guard by the scruff of his tunic as Olga confronted him with a menacing glare, saying, "Y'aint m'damn boss, and y'certainly don't get t'order me 'round, y'damn bastard."

To his credit the guard did not cower or piss in his pants when being confronted like that, and calmly said, "Let me go, and do not cause further trouble. I won't say it again."

As expected, Olga didn't take kindly to his words, and despite her goons trying to convince her to desist, they made no headway in persuading her.

...Guess I'll have to step in before things get ugly.

"Hold it right there," I said, stepping forward and grabbing Olga's clenched hand, which she reared for a punch.

My actions had the desired effect of getting her attention, as she turned to face me, a livid expression greeting my eyes.

"Huh!?"

"I do not appreciate you being a damn nuisance out in the open, or threatening to punch people simply because they get on your nerves," I said evenly to her, "But if you're itching so desperately for a fight, I'm right here."

The guard said, "Ma'am, there's no need for you to get involved, we have it handled-"

"It'll be fine," I reassured him, "Besides, I've been wanting to teach her a lesson or two about being considerate in public."

And as I turned to face Olga, I cracked my knuckles and assumed my fighting stance, as per habit; I will say this: I've been itching to fight someone for a while now since my arrival, and Olga's provocations gave me the perfect opportunity.

"So, my prey's finally manning up t'face me," Said Olga with a satisfied smirk, "I'm gonna enjoy poundin' ya into the dust, y'damn peacock."

"I could say the same for you, Olga," I replied, "And one more thing."

"What?"

A smirk of my own crossed my lips as I said, "I peacocked your mom."

Olga, clearly displeased with my witty remark, said, "Oh, a wise guy, eh? Well y'ain't gonna flap of your mouth no more when I ram m'bloody fist down yer gut!"

"I'm looking forward to it," I said, "But if you want to die, come at me!

 **A/N: Once again, I have to apologise for the long wait; I was originally slated to finish this chapter at an earlier date, but issues with my computer forced me to send it for repair before I could.**

 **I am well aware that Fanfiction has a mobile app which I could use to write with, but quite frankly, I already tried it, and beyond about a thousand words or so, it gets very laggy and slow to respond to my typing, and after a while, it became very irritating to put up with, so I decided to stick with my computer for writing, for your information.**

 **But enough ranting on my part; I hope you enjoyed reading, and I will do my best to update quickly to make up for my long absence. Until then!**


	8. Boss Fight I: Olga Mayrhofer

**A/N: I wrote this particular chapter while listening to the OST 'Funk Goes On', a fitting soundtrack for a boss fight. You can listen to any version of it while reading, just saying.**

 **AlexArmin36:** I did take inspiration from Yakuza 6, where Kiryu was repeatedly confronted by Nagumo over the same kind of issue, and I just found it funny enough to include. Glad you like it.

 **Boss Fight I: Olga Mayrhofer**

Olga craned her neck, her bones cracking as she loosened them in preparation for her fight. In her hand, she flicked her knife in a circular motion, her expression one of a cockily excited person.

"So you're jus' gonna fight me, an armed woman, wit'just yer bare hands n' fists? That's gotta be the stupidest thing I e'er saw, I'll say, but if anyone's dyin' it'll be you, Kiryu!" She exclaimed, "For y'now face Olga Mayrhofer, Captain of th'Iron Bear's Chargers! N'they call me 'Lethal Grace'!"

Her opponent, Kiryu Kazuma, stood impassively before her, readily awaiting her opponent to make the first attack.

And attack she did, her knife narrowly missing Kiryu's face as she dodged to her left. The platinum-haired woman then proceeded to grab Olga's arm in one hand, then backhanded her across the face with the other, forcing Olga back as she staggered in her steps.

A slight bruise was present on Olga's face, and in response to sustaining such an injury she merely spat to the side, and then attacked again; her movements were fluid and graceful, and every swing of her knife was minimalist and simplistic, yet accurately and swiftly aimed at her opponent's vitals.

Whilst Kiryu was repelling or dodging her attacks with counters or sidesteps, it was not to say it was easy, but neither was it difficult; she did not come close to Majima's level, though, which, if anything, made the fight far simpler than Kiryu would have liked.

 _Beggars can't be choosers, I suppose,_ Thought Kiryu, as she dodged yet another knife swing to her face.

A punch to the face, a kick to the stomach, a dodge to the left from a knife swing, a block against a kick to the stomach, and the fighting went on and on, neither side willing to give up.

For everyone of Kiryu's attacks, Olga retaliated as best as she could with knife swings, punches and kicks of her own directed against her opponent, but where her attacks were mostly avoided or countered against, the punishing assault from this platinum-haired woman becoming increasingly more difficult to endure; each strike carried enough force to shatter her bones, each impacting strike belying Kiryu's great strength.

And much to Olga's frustration, Kiryu had barely suffered any injuries save a few scant cuts that could not amount to flesh wounds, injuries that she barely reacted to.

 _Balgur be damned, what's it gonna take t'get a rise outta this woman?_ Were her thoughts, the frustratingly agile and strong Kiryu taunting her into attacking again.

As the fight progressed onward, the odds clearly in Kiryu's favour, one of Olga's goons, the same teen who tried in vain to dissuade her from starting a fight, now stood to the side with an exasperated look, his fellow goons adopting the same expression on their faces.

 _Dear Balgur, why did it have to turn out like this?_ Thought the goon, _Now we may as well be running late for our meeting with the boss and the other higher-ups, and the boss hates it when anyone's not punctual for the meeting. Then again, I didn't expect her quarry to actually go ahead and pick a fight with her._

"Hey, David, when's it gonna be over? The fight, I mean," Said the goon to the teen's left, a burly man with a chiseled face, curly black hair and eyes so narrow they always appeared closed.

"Yeah, when's it gonna end? I wanna get outta here already," Said the goon to David's right, a young woman in her early twenties, with long oaken brown hair - part of it tied in a braid worn on her head like a crown, and bright emerald eyes.

"Too bad, but unless the boss has her fill of fighting her, I'm afraid we're stuck here until then," Said David, "And you know damn well we can't afford to be late for the meeting; if we are, chances are that Olga's gonna get a full on berating from the Lord Marshall, and possibly demotion for all officers in Olga's Cadre."

The other goons blanched at that.

"No shit, David," Remarked the woman, "Demotion means less pay, and we'd also lose our current authority and command among the Chargers."

"Not to mention that if it happens, we'd probably be expelled from the Chargers entirely," Said the burly man, "We're already on thin ice, and the higher-ups'll not take such shit lying down another time."

"Which is why I dearly hope they finish this fight soon, Günsche," David said to the burly man, "Though I will admit, this is the first time I've seen someone do this much damage to Olga in a fight, at least other than the trainers serving the Charges."

And truly enough, Olga was tossed right at their feet in a heap, the woman groaning in pain as she struggled to get up. The extent of her injuries was not exactly moderate, but not severe either; multiple bruises decorated her arms and face where they could be seen like splatters of blue-black warpaint, and one of her eyes even became black. Overall, however, at least she was still alive, and the bruises were nothing serious, nothing a little bit of ointment, healing potion, or a healing spell could not handle.

And to Olga's exasperation, Kiryu was still mostly uninjured, aside from a few cuts that already began to heal before their eyes.

Cracking her knuckles, Kiryu said, "You want to go another round?"

Struggling to get up, Olga defiantly said, "Ye're tough, I'll give ya that. But don't think this is over, y'damn peacock!"

David quickly went to Olga's side, saying, "Boss, please, we don't have anymore time to waste. Lord Marshall's expecting us by noon, and you know we can't delay any longer."

Olga wanted very much to keep on fighting, but her body protested as a wave of agony washed over her, her injuries taking their toll on her. Yet she was stubbornly defiant, and her great reserves of willpower enabled her to stand up on wobbly legs despite her pain.

"D-Damn you, y'damn... peacock," Olga spat in defiance, ignoring David's advice, "I a-ain't done wit'you yet..."

Kiryu sighed, now knowing that unless Olga was knocked out cold, the duel would not end soon; it was almost time for lunch, and she would rather not deal with this female pseudo-Majima for longer than she wanted to.

 _Guess it's time to go hard on her,_ Thought Kiryu.

And she struck once again, her right fist aimed at Olga's face. Olga managed to dodge the attack, but Kiryu merely redirected the fist to perform a hard backhand, followed by an up knee to Olga's gut, and finally the finishing touch with an overhead, double-handed slam to the head.

Olga was knocked down, and this time she did not get up again.

For a moment, people feared that the woman was killed by accident, but after a quick diagnosis by Olga's goons, they confirmed that she was still alive and breathing, if albeit unconscious and in need of medical treatment.

Whilst the burliest of the goons went to sling Olga over his shoulder like a sack, David went towards Kiryu and said, "I'm very sorry for our leader's behaviour towards you; usually she's never this persistent in picking a fight with anyone else."

"It's fine, I suppose," Kiryu said, "Then again, I suppose she ought to learn how to not unnecessarily pick fights with others, especially out in public. Anyway, I happened to hear you mention you had a meeting to attend?"

"Yes, we do," Said David, "Sorry I can't to chat, but we-"

At that moment, a squad of guards came to the scene, one of them asking, "We heard that a scuffle was ongoing here, what's going on?"

The same guard that confronted Olga earlier said to his fellow guardsmen, "It's alright, it's been taken care of, no one was harmed."

The guards turned to see the comatose form of Olga, who looked worse for the wear.

"No one except the idiot who started it all..." Mentioned the guard, his eyes looking at Olga.

"Then what should we do with the culprit, Captain Heinrich?" Said one of the other guards.

 _Wait, Captain?_ Thought Kiryu, _Is he a Captain of these town guards?_

"Throw them into the brig, we'll deal with their punishment later," Said Heinrich.

Before the guards could move to arrest them, however, there came a group of well-armoured, well-armed men and women moving through the crowd, their weaponry a mish-mash of different types of weapons. On their chests they wore tabards of dark grey, bearing the insignia of a roaring bear.

Almost immediately Olga's goons went white-faced at the sight of their fellow chargers, especially at the sight of the one who led them.

He was an exceptionally burly man, easily towering over the average Human by over two heads. A bright-yellow-eyed, middle-aged man with short, wild sun kissed brown hair, he possessed an air of authority and intimidation, and with his thick bluish Winter Steel plate armour and massive warhammer that spanned the length of his arm, he easily made for a giant of a man and a formidable warrior.

And his scarred face was currently fixed in an expression of irritation as he looked at the unconscious form of his subordinate Olga.

"L-Lord Marshall Otto, Sir," Said David, who was beginning to sweat profusely in anxiety, "What brings you here?"

"I believe you and your fellow Chargers - and these people - know what it is, Prelate," Said the Lord Marshall, the last word spoken with a deliberate drawl.

"Sheisse... L-Listen, I can explain-"

"I will hear it when we have a word in private, not out here, especially with this depp of a Charger," Morgan said, silencing David.

Turning to the town guards and the gathered townsfolk, Morgan then said, "I deeply apologise for the egregious behaviour of my subordinate and the inconvenience she has caused to you. I promise you I will discipline her soon enough, and correct her misbehaviour."

The Captain of the Guard then approached the Lord Marshall of the Iron bear's Chargers, and said to him, "With all due respect, Sir, we of the Guard would prefer she serve her time in prison for this misconduct; we simply cannot overlook it."

The Lord Marshall looked as if he wanted to argue, but at that moment, Kiryu stepped in and stood at Heinrich's side, saying to him, "Captain Heinrich, was it? Don't worry about Olga, her boss has her handled."

"But-"

"From what I can see, this is a private matter between them, and for all our sake, I suggest we let them resolve this between themselves," Said Kiryu, who then leaned in to whisper, "Besides, he seems to be the type to not be disrespected, and he has authority over them. And I'd rather we don't create any unnecessary trouble here right now."

Heinrich, having been persuaded, relented and said, "Alright, but I better not hear anymore of this, understand me?"

"Crystal clear, good Sir," Said the burly Lord Marshall, who then turned to face Kiryu.

"You, what is your name, young lady?" Asked Morgan.

"Kiryu."

"Kiryu, eh? I am Lord Marshall Morgan Wolfgang, leader of the Iron Bear's Chargers, the mercenary group your opponent is part of," He said, "I could not help but stand by and watch your fight with Olga earlier, and my, my, you are quite the fighter."

"Your point being?" Asked Kiryu.

Morgan chuckled slightly, saying, "Well, I suppose to you, it wouldn't matter much, but quite frankly, I wanted to see for myself the power of the killer of Waldmörder, slayer of two hundred hunters."

Kiryu raised an eye at that.

"You know of me?"

"Well, not much, I'll admit, aside from what rumours were passed around about you," Said Morgan, "And some of those rumours included sightings of a platinum-haired woman wearing the pelt of Waldmörder on her back as a cloak."

Almost immediately the people around them entered into a round of heated chatter; the guards, townsfolk, even the Chargers shared looks of disbelief at the thought of Kiryu killing the bear, but the pelt she wore was proof enough of her heroic deed of slaying the bear.

"If you don't mind me asking, Kiryu Kazuma, would you mind having luncheon with me?" Asked Morgan, "I'll even pay your full share of the meal, drinks and all."


	9. The Iron Bear

**Chapter VIII: The Iron Bear**

The atmosphere between Morgan and Kiryu was nothing short of tense, the tension thick enough to suffocate anyone near the two.

It was not long ago that Kiryu handily triumphed over Olga in their short but decisive duel, and now the latter sat trembling in a corner, rivers of sweat coursing down her body in rapid waves as she nervously awaited her inevitable judgement, her goons faring little better than she in handling their unease. The four of them were expressly ordered to remain silent throughout the whole conversation by Lord Marshall Morgan, unless he stated otherwise.

David, in particular, levelled a deathly glare at his superior, causing Olga to wither and squirm in her seat; Olga was more terrified of Morgan than David at this point, though her fear of Morgan made her acutely aware of just how badly she had conducted herself - leading to her almost disgracing the name of the Iron Bear's Chargers.

The others in the tavern also made themselves scarce from the two, the thoughts of confronting either the Iron Bear himself or the Slayer of Waldmörder discouraging many from sitting near them. Godric, on the other hand, merely continued wiping his counter and serving his customers, preferring to focus on doing his chores instead of eavesdropping. Wilhelm and Belarion, too, stood by the side and watched, though it was by Kiryu's side.

Sipping his stein of ale, Morgan let out a satisfied sigh as the ice-cold beverage slid down his throat smoothly, and he said to Kiryu, "Fancy you being here, of all places. Mind indulging my curiosity and tell me why you came to this border town of Adenow?"

"Just to do a favour for an old friend," Said Kiryu, taking a spoonful of stew, "And to find work to do."

"A favour, you say?" Said Morgan, taking a bite from his drumstick, "And this friend of yours, he important enough to you that you would come all the way here to do a favour for him?"

And without doubt in his eyes, Kiryu said, "Yes."

Morgan sipped his ale thoughtfully, and he said, "You know, Adenow ain't exactly a place for travellers to go these days, mind you; border tensions between our Kingdom and Alsace have made things rather dangerous for travel around here, and word is that robber bandits are plaguing the damn place like they own it. Ain't exactly a place travellers would want to go to find work or anything else."

"We just happened to make our way here, Morgan," Said Kiryu, "Nothing more."

"Is that so?" Morgan said, "Well, it's your business, I suppose. And I don't think you're the type to crack under pressure if I wanted to force it outta you."

"What about you, then?" Kiryu asked Morgan, "What brings the Iron Bear's Chargers to this town on the edge of the border?"

"Before I answer that, mind if I ask you this, Kiryu?"

"What?" She answered.

"How much do you truly know about us Chargers?" Asked Morgan, "Aside from what Olga blurted out, of course."

"Very little, other than the fact you're their leader," Kiryu admitted, "Olga never spilled information about your group other than its name."

Morgan nodded at this, saying, "Well, if that's the case, I'll tell you more about us, then; we're going to stay here for a while in this town, might do you good to know more about us, if you're staying here for a while as well."

Kiryu nodded as Morgan asked, "You want the long story or short version?"

"I've got time for a long story, I suppose," Said Kiryu.

"Very well, it goes like this," Said Morgan, "As you already know, I'm Lord Marshall Morgan Wolfgang, leader of the Iron Bear's Chargers. Our name's derived from the fact I'm known 'round these parts as Eisenbär, literally translating to 'Iron Bear'."

"I see," Finished Kiryu, "So Eisenbär's your second name or something?"

"More of a title, so to say," Said Morgan, "It all started about two decades ago. Back then, I was part of the Royal Army, scoring a few or more victories against Alsacian bastards that dared invade my country. Granted, I was more part of a group of soldiers donated to the Army by a Noble Lord, and since our 'gracious' Lord was more than generous with his financing, our equipment was shitty quality, damned rusty as hell, can't even cut leather properly."

 _Poor quality equipment, the bane of any soldier in any army,_ Thought Kiryu as she listened on.

"Anyway, we were a motley band of peasant soldiers and such, no job other than being people sent to die for some petty wars waged for selfish reasons, and as I said earlier, we had shitty equipment, not to mention shitty pay, and all the noble soldiers and knights were getting all the credit for all the victories gained by us, getting all the high ranks as well in the Army..."

"So you decided you have had enough of that?" Asked Kiryu.

"Sure as hell did," Nodded Morgan, "Sure we ain't got much to our name, but we're Human beings as well; no way we're gonna stand by and let them treat us like shit all the time. That, and through damned politics played by those greedy nobles, I was forced to resign for charges of actions I didn't actually do. It was about two years ago, but I still remember the day we resigned from the army and formed our mercenary band clear as day."

"So what about your title?" Kiryu asked, "Why do they call you Lord Marshall?"

"Ah, yes. I thought you'd ask me that," Said Morgan, as he bit into some breast meat, "You see, that was my actual rank in the Orsi Army before I resigned; the rank of Lord Marshall's one of the highest one'd ever obtain, 'cause it grants authority to command nearly the whole damn Army, along with a considerable number of military assets, not to mention authority as a superior over plenty of military officers, commoner or not."

"Huh, that's a surprise," Noted Kiryu.

"Well, perhaps to you and those unfamiliar with my status, it is," Said Morgan, "As for why I'm still called that, let's just say my soldiers still preferred calling me that out of habit, and eventually, it just stuck. And I've gotten used to it since."

"People called you that out of habit?" Asked Kiryu.

"That's right," Said Morgan, "Though I'm no longer Lord Marshall in the Orsi military, to my loyal Chargers I'm still Lord Marshall Morgan Wolfgang. Ain't nothing's going to change that."

"I see," Kiryu said, "Then what about the kind of jobs you take for a living?"

"Ah, no need to hide it, I know a tone of wariness when I hear it," Said Morgan, "Suffice to say, we do take many kinds of jobs from different kinds of employers to earn our keep, some of them of morally questionable character, but even so, there's a limit to that; there are certain jobs we will never take, and certain types of employers we'll _never_ work with. We still have our honour as mercenaries, after all."

"That being?"

"Working with corrupt nobles or bandits, aiding slavers, doing punitive tax collecting on poor and helpless damsels in distress, that sort of thing," Said Morgan, "I've seen that happen to poor, weak people in the past, and no way in Balgur's name I'm lowering myself to their level if I can help it."

"Speaking of which, how did you get the name 'Eisenbär'?" Asked Kiryu.

"Well, it was when I was still part of the Royal Army, and I was Captain of my own regiment back then. Some say I fought with the ferocity and strength of a great, massive bear, and with how big I was, plenty of people - both enemy and friend - just started calling me that name: Eisenbär by fellow Orsi, Iron Bear by the Alsacians. Like my title, it just stuck, and I've been called that since."

Kiryu nodded, saying, "You must have been quite the fighter."

"Ha! I definitely was," Said Morgan enthusiastically, "And I could say the same of you, Kiryu; you punched Olga with the strength of a bear! No wonder people say you managed to kill that Waldmörder with your bare hands!"

 _And I was on the receiving end of a bear's attack, once,_ Thought Kiryu, _Though that was more it swiping its claws at me rather than actual punching on its part._

"I fought worse," Said Kiryu.

"Not one to boast about your kills, eh?" Said Morgan.

Kiryu remained silent at that, sipping her ale.

"Anyway, once again, do forgive my subordinate's uncouth behaviour towards you," Said Morgan, "But do please tell me the reason why she acted with such hostility towards you."

Kiryu then snatched a glance at Olga, who despite feeling fear of her superior, still managed a slight glare at Kiryu, the shame of her defeat still fresh in her mind.

And with slight nonchalance in her tone, Kiryu said, "She mistook me as someone attempting to steal her love interest, which I had no intention of doing."

At this, Morgan spat out his ale in surprise, followed by him trying his hardest to contain his fit of giggles that threatened to erupt into laughter, whilst Olga stared disbelievingly at her self-declared nemesis, trying very hard to restrain herself from trying to strangle her where she sat. Most other patrons snatched glances at where Morgan and Kiryu sat, wondering what was the source of the commotion, though they eventually ignored it and went about their business.

When Morgan finally calmed down, the first thing he said was, "By Balgur, that's the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard; I thought for a moment you two had a lover's spat!"

Kiryu felt a tinge of irritation at that, while Olga stared wide-eyed at Morgan, not believing the Lord Marshall would say such a thing.

Having found her words, Olga retorted, "Y'got it wrong, Lord Marshall! My love interest ain't this damn peacock at all! I was jus'... um... tellin' her not t'steal him fer herself! Yes, that's it!"

"Says the woman who picked a fight in broad daylight, in the middle of a crowd, inviting the attention of the town guard, and getting her ass handed to her," Said Morgan, causing Olga to flinch, "Quite an overhanded reaction to someone stealing your love interest, eh? And I thought I told you to not speak without my permission."

Unable to counter Morgan's argument, Olga sat back down in silence.

"Speaking of which, who're your companions?" Morgan asked, glancing behind Kiryu.

"Wilhelm and Belarion, the young boy and fair-skinned man respectively," Said Kiryu.

"Really now?" Morgan said, his tone becoming too suggestive for Kiryu's liking, "So they're your love interests?"

This time, it was Kiryu's turn to spit out a mouthful of ale in surprise, whilst her two male companions blushed a deep magenta at Morgan's words, staring at him in surprise.

Having gotten over her coughing fit, Kiryu then said, "What kind of question was that?"

Morgan merely chuckled, the bastard, "Oh, I was just playing with you, no need to get so serious."

That earned him an exasperated glower from Kiryu and her companions, whilst Olga and her goons had to turn around to hide their faces of laughter as giggles filtered through their mouths.

"In any case, I'm not in a romantic relationship with them," Stated Kiryu, "They just wanted to accompany me on my journey, really."

"Really, now?" Said Morgan.

"It is true, Lord Marshall Morgan," Said Belarion, "We happened to have an overwhelming sense of wanderlust within our hearts, and she did much for us. As her companions and friends, we are honoured to accompany her."

"Aye, and she's a damned good friend t'have, if I say so meself!" Said Wilhelm, "Ain't no one who'd come close t'being the woman she is!"

These last words brought a slight smile to Kiryu's face, one of appreciation for her companions' kind words.

Morgan then looked to the side, and saw the nearby wall-mounted clock display the current time at nearly 2 o'clock. He then rose up from his seat and said, "Well, it's been good talking to you, but I'm afraid I have to go now. Got work that needs doing."

Kiryu nodded, saying, "It's been nice meeting you, Morgan."

"Ah, but before we go," Said Morgan, beckoning Olga to stand up and in front of Kiryu, "Olga, if you please."

Olga initially hesitated, but eventually she acceded to Morgan's order, and she said, "Sorry fer pickin' a fight wit'you and being a nuisance."

Kiryu nodded at this, and said, "Apology accepted, I suppose."

"Very good. Now, Olga, I'm afraid we're not finished with each other," Said Morgan, "Follow me and we'll discuss further details about your punishment."

Olga wordlessly nodded, and she, together with Morgan and her goons, left the tavern in silence.

"Y'think we'll be seein' the last o' them?" Asked Wilhelm.

"No, I don't think so," Said Kiryu, "My gut tells me so, anyway."

"Neither do I," Said Belarion, "But if so, I would prefer we be friends and remain such, instead of becoming enemies; that Morgan Wolfgang is a rather decent person, I can tell."

"Then let us hope for the best, yes?" Said Kiryu.

IIOII

It was within the Lord Marshall's tent that Olga stood in front of the man himself awaiting her judgement, her goons elsewhere in the campsite that served as temporary home for the Chargers.

Where Olga would have talked with a fiery tongue and brash behaviour, now she stood silent and subdued, unable to retort against the man of authority and undisputed leader of the Iron bear's chargers. Where she would have hotly defended her actions, now she was filled with a grim acceptance for whatever punishment she was to suffer; she had brought shame to the Chargers' name, it was only fair she suffer expulsion from the Chargers in turn, if that was to be her punishment.

"I believe you know what happens next, yes?" Said Morgan.

Olga silently nodded, too ashamed to look Morgan in the eye.

"I am a man of my word, Olga, and I mean to keep it," Said the Iron Bear, "Therefore, because of your brash actions, I am hereby stripping you of your position and command, and expelling you from the Chargers from this moment onward. You will have to hand over your sigil, and are no longer permitted to return to the band unless I say otherwise, understand me?"

"...Yes, Lord Marshall," Said Olga, "What about my subordinates, though? What'll happen t'them?"

"Since they did not willingly participate in your stupidity, they are permitted to stay," Said Morgan, "Though whether they want to stay or follow you is their decision to make, not mine."

Olga nodded in understanding.

"If you have nothing else to say, please leave," Said Morgan.

Olga nodded, and reaching into her pocket she took out a small medallion of iron, which bore the engraving of a bear, handing it to Morgan with no small amount of shame. She turned around to leave, though not before she heard Morgan saying, "Olga... it was an honour."

Olga felt a lump forming in her throat, and she said, "The honour's mine, Lord Marshall."

Olga then returned to her tent - soon to no longer be hers - and began packing her personal belongings.

She never carried much with her wherever she went, even during her time with the Chargers; a fur cloak, her rucksack, camping equipment, her Winter Steel shortswords, a pouch of coins, and a small striped scarf of red and white, a reminder of her home village of Thalson. This was all that constituted her personal belongings.

Packing enough food and water for a few days, she said her goodbyes, and she left the camp, stopping only to look back at it one last time.

 _Wonder what I'll be doin' now that I ain't part o' the Chargers now,_ Thought Olga, _Maybe I'll find some work t'do back in Adenow, earn some coin while I figure out what bloody direction I'll take next in me life._

Yet just as she began distancing herself from the Chargers' camp, she could hear people shouting her name, the shouts drawing closer by the second. Looking behind, she saw none other than David and her other two goons, Günsche and Frieda, running towards her.

"You... why're ya 'ere?" Asked Olga in surprise, "I thought you'd be stayin' on wit'the Chargers!"

"And where the hell would we go without you, Olga?" Said David with a smile, "If you're going elsewhere, we might as well stay with you 'till the end, yeah?"

"Ain't no going nowhere without our Captain 'Lethal Grace'!" Shouted Günsche.

"Y'think I'm stayin' wit' the Chargers without you, Olga?" Said Freida.

Touched by the loyalty of her subordinates, Olga felt a lump forming in her throat, and her lips trembled as tears of happiness threatened to spill out of her eyes.

"...You guys..." She muttered, unable to form words in her throat.

"Captain, you crying?" Asked Frieda.

Ignoring the tears in her eyes, Olga bellowed to her goons, "Come on, y'bloody knobs! We got daylight t'burn!"

IIOII

"So let me get this straight," I said, "You want to work under me?"

"Aye, Kiryu," Said Olga, "I mean, I ain't got work t'do right now, and I got meself expelled from the Chargers, so..."

...What the hell. First this woman picks a fight with me over a love interest I don't even want to steal from her - which she accused me of, and now she wants to be my subordinate? This day just keeps getting better and better.

"What about you three?" I asked her three goons.

"We just decided to stick with our Captain," Said David, "I mean, whether she's part of the Chargers or not, she's still our Captain, and we're following her where she goes."

"And ain't no bastard's gonna prevent that from happening!" Said the woman called Frieda.

So Olga's got some loyal subordinates of her own, subordinates that will stick with her through thick thin. That's something I can respect.

"I know this's asking much o' ya, but please, let us work under you!" Said Olga, an almost pleasing tone in her words, "We ain't got nowhere else t'go, and I can't return t'the Chargers 'n disgrace 'em further! Please, I'll do anythin' y'ask o' me! Heck, I'll even call you big sister!"

Dear god, please shut up already, and let me think this through.

"So what do you think?" I said to Wilhelm.

"Well, personally I ain't got no problem working with 'em," Said Wilhelm, "Though I find myself doubting if she won't pick a fight wit'ya 'gain over 'stealing her love interest'."

"T-That's no longer a problem!" Olga defensively said, "I get now y'ain't interested in Godric, I mean... at least I ain't gonna pick a fight wit'you over that anymore."

"Really, now?" Said Wilhelm.

"Come now, Wilhelm," Said Belarion, "She has most definitely learned her lesson since that duel, and if her superior was involved, it would be hard to ignore that Morgan's words for her."

"Hey! That's Lord Marshall Morgan Wolfgang to you!" Olga and her three goons yelled in unison.

"Alright, we get it," I said, "But for your information, I'm already on a job Erhart von Einstein hired me for, and this involves a great risk we have to brave."

"That being?" Asked Günsche.

"Yeah, what's it gonna involve?" Asked Frieda.

"...Possible incursions on the work site by unsavoury characters," I stated, "Erhart has suspicions that some greedy nobles might even deploy mercenary forces or their loyal servants to try and disrupt the work operation there, or worse, utterly destroy it."

"No shit?" Said David, "Am I to guess this work site's a gold mine for this Erhart?"

I nodded.

"It's reaping a tidy income for him, such that he's become damned rich - richer than all the other merchants in this town."

"Wait, Erhart's the governor of this town, yeah?" Said Frieda.

"More like the co-governor of sorts," I said, "At least, from what I hear, he and his father are working together in the governance business, taking care of all sorts of domestic affairs, from tax collecting to public works and so on."

"Huh, and how old's this Erhart?" Asked Olga.

"No older than between nine to ten years old," I stated.

"The hell?" Said the four ex-Chargers in surprise.

"I know, I was just as surprised as you are when I found out about it," I stated, "But like it or not, this young boy's our employer, and apparently a damned good merchant as well. Heck, he even owns as much as ten acres of land in such a small town as this, and has an operational, thriving agricultural business there."

"It's true," Said Belarion, "Not to mention Erhart is generous in his payment, offering as much as twenty gold for every week we work."

At that, their eyes widened so much I feared their eyeballs would fall out of their sockets. Was twenty gold that big of a sum here?

"Balgur's ass, that's a damn big sum!" Shouted Olga, "Y'could buy a few sets o' high-grade Winter Steel equipment wit'that!"

"Us mercs only get a few measly silvers at best!" I heard Freida state.

Okay, scratch that, it _is_ a big sum. And to think Gabriel had as much as a hundred gold coins to leave to me in that chest, despite him being just a hunter in the wilds - such an occupation doesn't earn even a mere fraction of that amount... just how rich was he? And if Frieda's words are anything to go by, it seems mercenaries don't get paid well in Orso. Wonder if that rule extends to other countries?

"We ain't lyin', Olga; Erhart's a generous employer wit'how much he's payin' us," Said Wilhelm.

"I'm guessing you Chargers get most of your wealth from what you plunder on the job?" I asked.

"In a way, yes," Said David, "Most of our employers were a bit stingy with their wealth in handing out our payments upon completing our jobs, though for some, it was understandably because of the recent instability plaguing our country, so they wanted to save money for strengthening their private armies."

"Hence the need t'steal from our faen enemies," Said Olga, "Some'ere dirt poor, some'ere filthy rich, it was a matter o'luck, really, but we did manage t'get by most days. But if ye're thinkin' we go plunderin' from the dead as well, ye're dead wrong; we Chargers - or at least ex-Chargers - ain't in the mood t'rob the dead, goes against our honour and our rules as a merc band."

We raised eyebrows at that.

"Hey, don't give us that look," Günsche said, "The one that says: 'Don't mercenaries usually plunder the dead?'"

"Yeah!" Frieda joined in, "Just because we're mercenaries, don't get the wrong idea about us!"

I nodded at that, and Belarion said, "Do pardon us for assuming such, then."

"Ah, no need t'apologise f'that!" Said Olga, "Speaking o' which, will ya accept my offer, please?"

I sighed, and rubbing my head in exasperation, I then said, "Alright, you can work with me starting tomorrow, at Erhart's farm."

And the four ex-Chargers were quick to cheer 'Yes!' in response.

I turned to face Wilhelm, and said, "Wilhelm, please tell Erhart we've got four more co-workers taking the job with us."

"Ya got it," Said Wilhelm.

IIOII

 _The next day..._

"Hey, Kiryu..."

"Yes, Olga?"

"I thought we'd be guardin' some sorta illegal drug operation or somethin', when y'said we're guardin' a goldmine... but it turns out we're jus' lookin' after damned kids! N' where's the damn crops we're guardin'!? All I see's potatoes, this... 'corn' or whatever, and other stuff!"

I suppose it's understandable that at first glance, the farm's not representative of a goldmine - technically most farms are. Olga and the other ex-Chargers were impressed at the size of the farm's size, the greenhouse and the impressive variety of crops that were being grown in the more sheltered areas, but that was about it; technically we didn't show them the inside of the greenhouse yet, though, so they've yet to see the sugar beets being grown there.

As of now, I was busy watching the southern edge of the farm's territory with Olga, while Wilhelm, Belarion and the others taking shifts watching the surrounding areas. Belarion, in particular, has gotten quite popular with the girls working at the farm, primarily due to his handsome features. Wilhelm was busy working alongside the other shamans, learning new skills and techniques from the veterans in the process.

Olga's three goons, well... they've got nothing better to do other than gamble with each other, and I hear that Günsche's constantly losing his bets and forking over money to the winners, whether it be David or Freida.

An amused smirk formed on my face at her reaction, and so I told her, "Well, at first glance it may not look like a goldmine, but what if I told you that sugar is being grown here?"

That earned the attention of Olga, who turned to face me with a look of astonishment.

"Please tell me ye're pullin' me leg," Said Olga, "There's no way in hell that brat's got th'means t'grow sugar cane in this damned cold winter country."

I chuckled at that, saying, "You're wrong there; Erhart isn't getting his sugar from sugar cane."

"What?"

"How else do you think Erhart has a steady supply of sugar with which to earn tidy sums of income?" I said to Olga, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Olga rubbed her head in confusion, saying, "How the hell...? Then what's his source o' sugar, then?"

"Do please keep it a secret outside of here, alright?" I said, to which Olga nodded, and then I replied, "Sugar beets. That's his source of sugar."

For a moment, Olga merely tilted her head in confusion, her only response being, "Sugar beets?"

"Think of a radish-like crop that's slightly different in shape and size," I said to Olga, "It's much easier to grow than sugar cane, requires much less growth time, and yields sugar once properly processed."

"The 'ell?" Muttered Olga, "There's another sugar-producin' crop that's easier to grow than sugar cane? And we never knew 'bout it the whole damn time? Bloody Balgur's ass, what a damned small world we live in."

"I was just as surprised as you when I learned of this," I said, "The taste of the sugar from sugar beet is different than that derived from sugar cane, but it is still sugar, and you can guess how Erhart's managed to earn such high profits the whole time."

"And why that brat's in need o' mercs t'guard this secret goldmine," Olga concluded, "Any merchant or noble'd want this damn farm destroyed, or perhaps they'd want the secrets behind this sugar manufacturin'. Seems we got a really dangerous job this time."

"And that's why the additional aid's welcome," Said a voice beside them, and they turned to find Erhart in front of them, along with a young woman dressed in a maid's uniform - perhaps fourteen years old, with sandy yellow eyes and red hair. I think the colour was called... ginger, I think?

"Gah!" Olga yelled in shock, "Scheisse, will y'please not sneak up on us like that?"

Erhart merely chuckled in response, "Where's the fun in not doing that? Besides, it's just about time for lunch, and we've brought sandwiches for all of us to eat."

"Really? That's nice o' ya," Remarked Olga, "Speakin' o' which, who's the young girl wit'ya?"

The maid curtsied in greeting, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Marie, a maid serving Master Erhart von Einstein of Adenow."

I nodded, saying, "Nice to meet you too, Marie. I'm Kiryu, this is Olga."

"Well, now that introductions are out of the way, shall we get to eating lunch?" Said Erhart, and we all eagerly agreed.

Having called the other seven co-workers, we then sat down in a circle, and opened the basket, and true to his word, the basket contained plenty of sandwiches, perhaps enough to fill all nine of our stomachs - or maybe eight, if the maid's eating with us - and I could smell the appetising aroma of roasted pork as it wafted into my nostrils.

We immediately began biting into our sandwiches, and god, it was delicious; roasted spiced pork that imparted a stimulating, spicy flavour, crisp vegetables that complemented the savoury meat, a sour sauce of sorts that whetted the appetite, it was a godsend in this blasted cold weather. Erhart's really gone the extra mile to see that we were well fed, though I think he also wanted to personally meet with my new co-workers and check the state of the farm as well.

Still, I don't really recall the Stout Mountaineer serving this kind of food. Maybe it's a recipe that one of Erhart's servants uses?

"Oh, Balgur's balls, it's a faen good sandwich!" Exclaimed Günsche, "And it's spicy, too; perfect for eatin' in this cold!"

"Ain't no argument there," Said Wilhelm, "Even th'village cooks don't cook food this good."

"My homeland never serves such food like this..." I heard Belarion mutter, "I never knew Humans could ever cook such sumptuous gourmet delicacies!"

"Maybe to you, it's gourmet food," I said with a smirk, "It's practically simple, everyday food; anyone with good cooking skills and proper ingredients can make delicious meals, be it simple or gourmet food."

"If this is simple food, then this is possibly the best I've ever eaten," Said Belarion, "But I firmly believe the cooks of my homeland are of a higher calibre."

"Really, now?" Said Marie, "Well, I'll have you know I'm no slouch in cooking either; I did the lion's share of the work making these sandwiches!"

"And that's why I'm glad to have you as my maid, Marie," Said Erhart, causing Marie to blush a deep magenta.

Seems like some sort of romantic relationship going on between the two kids. Ah, not that I should interfere.

Lunch lasted around an hour or so, and we mostly passed the time exchanging random banter whilst stuffing our mouths with the delicious sandwiches Erhart brought us, and it was a nice break from the monotony of guarding the farm. Once we finished the food and the basket was empty, another servant came to take back the basket, while Erhart and Marie were busy taking a leisure stroll around the farm, as if they were on a date or something.

Are they actually dating? If so, that explains why Marie wasn't the one taking the basket back.

"Do you think they will get far in their relationship?"

The one who posed to me that question was David, the most sensible and intelligent-looking of Olga's goons. And like me - and possibly the rest of us, he's caught on to the ongoing romanticism occurring between Erhart and Marie.

In response to his question, I said, "That depends, I guess."

"No, I mean... who do you think's going to make the first move on the other?" David said.

I'm not really an expert on love affairs or romance in general, really. I mean, I was in a relationship with Yumi and Kaoru, so I do have some experience, but nothing on the level of a romance maestro.

But to be honest?

"I think it might be Marie, with how forward she's being with Erhart," Was my answer.

All of a sudden, however, I could hear some sort of bell ringing, and almost immediately, Erhart reacted with a grim expression.

"What do you think's happening?" Asked David.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's good," I replied.

And my suspicions were confirmed when Erhart yelled to us, "It's an enemy attack!"


	10. Update

I know it's already three days late, but Happy New Year, guys!

So the reason I'm posting this update is that unfortunately, due to upcoming exams in about one and a half months' time, I have to focus on studying for the time being, and so I can't update for a while.

To others taking their exams around the same time, I wish you all the best!

This has been Ebanu8.


	11. Plots Uncovered, Part I

**A/N: To those who waited patiently for the new chapter, thank you all for your patience! And pardon the long delay; I was busy with other stuff and writing chapters for my fanfic Warlords of Remnant.**

 **With that done, hope you enjoy.**

 **Chapter IX: Plots Uncovered, Part I**

"That's the alarm!" Shouted Erhart, "We're under attack!"

Damn it, that was quicker than I expected, and on our first day of work as well...

Just then, Belarion and David came running to us, and the young boy said, "We've spotted a group of unknown people making their way through the treacherous ravine down south. From the looks of it, they number about three hundred and fifty, or so."

"Their identity?" I asked.

Belarion said, "From the general outlook, it looks like no more than a motley band of bandits or mercenaries, and they seem to use equipment of unremarkable quality."

"Any idea who they're working for?" I asked.

"I cannot tell, for they wore no colours and bore no insignia," Belarion said, "Our first assumption was that they are unaffiliated, but as you probably can guess, that does not seem to be the case; someone must have sent them here for a reason."

"My guess here's that they were tipped off by someone about the farm here," Said David, "They might be hired muscle coming to sabotage Erhart's source of income."

"The 'ell?" Said Olga, "This really sucks ass; first day of work, and we have t'deal wit'this bullshit. How far are they from here?"

"Not far, now," Said David, "It won't be long before we have to fight them."

Wilhelm and the others came running to us, the shaman asking, "We heard a bell or somethin' goin' off, what's going on?"

"We'll explain later. For now, get the other workers to safety first and far away from the farm," I said to him, "We've got company."

"David, you, Frieda and Günsche help Wilhelm get th'others t'safety," Said Olga, "I, Belarion 'n Kiryu will keep watch 'ere."

"Marie, you head back to the mansion. I'll handle things from here," Erhart said to Marie.

"I can't! What'll happen to you if you stay here?" Marie protested.

"We don't have time for this! Please, just do as I say!" Erhart retorted, almost pleadingly, "I'll be safe, don't worry."

"But-"

Marie's arm was gripped firmly by Wilhelm, who said, "Come on, now, we gotta get you somewhere safe. Ain't gonna do if yer master's shittin' his own pants worryin' 'bout ya."

Though she still did not want to leave her master's side, she relented and allowed herself to be guided away from the farm, leaving me with Olga, Erhart and Belarion as we kept watch on the southern edge of the farm.

Seriously though, is that boy really going to stay here and risk his life? Is he mad?

"Why are you staying here?" I asked him, "I thought you would return to the mansion with Marie."

"I know," Said Erhart, his expression more serious this time, "But quite frankly, I can't stand just staying at home while these bastards're trying to intrude on our territory. Besides, I received martial training. I won't be a hindrance."

"Y'sure?" Asked Olga, "For all we know, them bastards might be much stronger than we think."

"And the chances of dying here may be very real," I said, "Even so, you would stay?"

"Damn right I will," Said Erhart with conviction.

This boy... his fearlessness does remind me of Haruka, always spitting in the face of danger whenever her own life or that of her fellow adoptive brothers and sisters at the orphanage, especially when Mine came to forcefully evict them... I just hope that's not bravado for the sake of vanity, or just so to not worry Marie any further.

"Any traps y'set?" Olga asked Erhart.

He shook his head, saying, "I've neglected to set them up, since I didn't expect an attack for another half a year or so. I would have set them up at the nearby ravine, but now, I'm afraid we'll have to make do with what weapons and skills we have, not to mention just the eight of us to fight all three hundred and fifty of them."

"But they haven't fully crossed the ravine yet, have they?" I said.

"No, they have not," Said Belarion, "Do you possibly have a plan in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, I think I do," I said, "David, Belarion, call the others here. It's time we discuss our plans for reducing their numbers."

IIOII

Not far from the farm lay a narrow, treacherous ravine, one few would dare traverse for fear of easily suffering severe injury or being trapped within; the sides were very steep, and the edges were angled such that snow could easily pile up at the top and fall down when disturbed, burying any unfortunate soul who happened to be underneath the falling snow's trajectory. Jutting out of the ravine's sides were several tree branches and roots, and if one was not careful, one could easily get one's clothing torn by accident were it to be caught by such.

Furthermore, the footpath was very uneven and buried in snow, easily concealing holes and other sharp objects beneath a blanket of white. One had to watch where one stepped, or he could easily slip and lose his footing, or worse still, injure it.

Robert himself awaited the mercenaries' success at a hideout some miles away, and the one assigned to lead the motley band was handpicked from the group that was assembled by Robert's choosing from the prisons of Eastmere.

The Captain that was chosen to lead them was a young man barely into adulthood, at eighteen years of age, yet he commanded an aura of authority few could easily possess at such a young age. He was rather tall for a Human, and his form was powerfully built from years of extensive physical training, concealed under a suit of leather armour. With a grizzled, chiseled face, piercing teal eyes and slicked back honey yellow hair, he was a handsome specimen of a man with an intoxicating aura few women could resist.

The man was Nikolaus Goldfeld, a former citizen of Orso turned mercenary, and he was the unfortunate captain paid to possibly die as a distraction for his oh-so generous lordship.

And currently, Nikolaus was unhappy about all this; already, as many as ten of his troops injured their feet brushing against jutting rocks or branches, or had their legs fractured upon stepping into a natural pitfall; these men they left behind, for moving to retrieve them would only cost them more time. Those who remained uninjured followed closely behind their captain, who trudged through the terrain without complaint.

They were supposed to have made it fully across in half an hour, and yet to avoid enemy patrols, they had to take a detour through the ravine rather than risk using the nearby forest, for there were many hunters foraging and hunting for food, and they could give away their position were they to spot them.

"Gah... how much further is the exit?" Wondered Nikolaus, "We're already severely delayed without being able to use our horses, and the random twigs and rocks don't help one bit; damn snow's blocking them all from view."

Just then, he faintly heard a whistle in the air, followed by one of his men falling to the ground, an arrow shaft sticking out of his neck. More soon fell dead, shot in their necks or heads, their bodies collapsing onto the snow-covered ground.

"Damn it!"

Looking around, Nikolaus could see no one within sight at the top of the ravine's walls, and as his troops panicked, he could hear boulders dropping from high up onto his troops, crushing unfortunate victims into red puddles of paste. Strikes of lightning and shards of ice were to follow, along with lethally accurate shots felling another dozen of his men, the arrows hitting necks or eyes unprotected by their armour.

"Everyone, form up and huddle into a circle! Raise shields outwards and upwards!" Nikolaus shouted, "Use the bodies as shields if you must!"

Following his orders, his men quickly formed a circular shieldwall as arrows and spells pelted their shields. Sadly, his men were improperly trained and equipped with shoddy equipment, and it did not take long before some shields shattered under the continuous barrage, their bearers falling to the ground as their blood stained the snow crimson.

Looking up, he then saw a tall, fair-skinned man - taller than any man he ever came across - armed with a bow and arrow, along with a young man dressed in shaman's garb, his hands manipulating orbs of lighting to his will.

Nikolaus then felt a tinge of excitement building in his heart; how could there be such a skilled archer in Adenow of all places? Were there more of them? Did he and his friend have other comrades aiding them in this endeavour?

 _And no one said anything about a shaman!_ Thought Nikolaus, _Very interesting, to think we'd encounter such a heavy ambush._

"We can't stay here!" Shouted the captain, "Everyone, head for the exit! We have to get out of the ravine now!"

And they quickly complied with his orders, their feet carrying them as far as they could in their mad dash for safety.

Some fell due to arrow shafts hitting their legs, some fell to lightning strikes, and some were entangled in roots that shot out of the ground like slithering snakes that wrapped their prey in tight embraces. The rest, numbering less than a hundred now, pushed onward, not caring how many fell, only that they got out alive.

Yet as they neared the other end of the ravine, they came face-to-face with six others waiting for them, all armed and ready to fight their adversaries; outnumbered as they were, Nikolaus' instincts told him this would not be an easy fight to win.

 _Never thought it'd be easy to get away like that,_ Thought Nikolaus, even as he prepared to attack.

IIOII

Well, that was quick of them; I thought they would take another five minutes or longer to get through. Oh well, I guess it's time to finish this once and for all.

With a manically joyful expression, Olga twirled her knives - or shortswords, as they insisted they were called - in jovial anticipation, saying, "Well, this'll be fun."

"Belarion and Wilhelm have really outdone themselves, haven't they?" Said Erhart.

"I only saw them fight once before, but yes, they are quite good," I said.

With all of us ready to get into the heat of things, I took out my axe and bellowed, "Alright, you know what to do: Capture their leader, and as many others as you can!"

And I heard cheers of affirmation in return from the others. With my lips curling slightly upwards, we charged forward, and we knocked them back really hard; Olga's already in the thick of it, slicing and dicing with her shortswords with fluid precision, her goons fighting alongside her and claiming their fair share of kills and knockouts.

"Ghahahaha! That's it, scream, y'damn bastards!" Olga laughed manically, her expression of mad joy hardly changing at all.

I'll admit, they don't fight half bad, though their personality makes them too much of warmongers for my taste.

While I would prefer they did not kill our enemies, I don't have much control over their actions when the fighting starts, but capturing their leader's the top priority, and they're smart enough to understand that.

And it seems to my utter surprise, Erhart's performing rather well with his own shortsword of steel, already having cut down a few and incapacitating another, his pommel impacting squarely on the back of his head.

"Captain!" I heard someone say in English, "These bloody bastards are far too tough! We can't possibly beat them!"

"Just hold your ground and fight on, you lot!" Barked their captain, "Winning this fight's the only way we're gonna live, so put your backs into it!"

And the other mercs gave choruses of affirmation, doubling their efforts.

Not long after, I had to parry a sword swing to my abdomen as he came face-to-face with me. As we fought, I found that this guy's far tougher than his goons were; his sword broke, the shoddy piece of steel unable to sustain prolonged abuse, but rather than try to loot another weapon, he simply struck with his fists and legs, and there was ample power behind those attacks.

Who would've thought I'd find a man willing to go bare fists and legs in a battle like this?

"You ain't half-bad, I'd say," Said the captain, a smile on his face, "You're a damn crazy strong lot, I dare say."

"You seem to be enjoying this," I remarked.

"Guess I am," Said the captain, "Now how's about we wrestle like men?"

Can't say no to that, I guess; I tossed aside my axe, and assumed a stance that was all too familiar to me, ready to rumble with this guy.

"Come and kill me, if you can," I said to him.

He smiled, and we clashed fists.

IIOII

With dazzling speed Kiryu's and Nikolaus' fists clashed in a heated, passionate battle, bone-crushing impacts resulting whenever a fist landed on flesh. With gusto and glee Nikolaus found himself enjoying the fight; never had he encountered a foe so formidable as she was, and the monstrous strength she possessed, belied by her somewhat slender frame, inflicted a satisfying type of pain he never experienced before.

And like a true sadist, he relished every sensation of pain he felt, burning it into his memory.

 _Bloody hell, I'm on the losing side of a fight for once... and I'm liking it!_ Thought Nikolaus with glee, _Come on, woman, show me more!_

With a swift kick to the face, he was sent careening backwards and landed on his back, though he was quick to get up.

"What's wrong? Too much pain?" He heard Kiryu taunt, "Come and get me."

Nikolaus charged forward once again, and with a series of well-timed punches, he managed to bypass Kiryu's rather airtight defense and land a few strikes to the face and the stomach, but such strikes served to hardly faze her, as if they were nothing more than a bothersome itch.

"Is that all?" Kiryu asked, a bored tone in her voice.

And with another powerful blow to the abdomen, Nikolaus was sent careening backwards, his hand clutching his stomach in pain.

 _Damn, she's as strong as a bear!_ Thought Nikolaus, _And yet, this is what makes this fight so fun!_

Before the mercenary captain could think of a way to retaliate, however, he saw Kiryu vanish from his sight for a moment. He turned around, trying to discern Kiryu's location, and then felt a hard impact on the back of his neck. In seconds, he fell unconscious, and his goons, seeing him fall, were quick to surrender, hoping that their lives would be spared.

"Round them all up," Kiryu ordered, "Have some of them taken for questioning later."

IIOII

The captain was more difficult to deal with, but nothing I couldn't handle. With him down, those that survived were quick to throw down their weapons and surrender.

Yet even then, I caught sight of one of the mercenaries sneaking behind Erhart, the boy busy barking orders for the surviving mercs to be rounded up and tied. It seems the boy hasn't noticed him, and I saw him brandish an axe, most likely intending to kill him.

Goddamnit, just stay down already! If you don't and try to kill Erhart, don't think you're getting out of this alive!

I saw that man raise his axe for the killing blow, and I felt time slow down as I reacted.

If I did nothing, he would die, a ten year old boy, yet to reach the prime of his youth, yet to do great things in his life... if I do nothing now, he'll die, and I would have failed to save him through my negligence, just as I failed to save my friends who died because I could not save them.

I had no other choice; I took my axe, and with great force hurled it at the mercenary, and whether by fate or by poor luck, the mercenary suffered a hit to the head, killing him instantly.

I... just killed him. But I killed him to save my friend, so it's worth it...

...

...

Is it?

Instantly, the stench of blood filled my nose as I witnessed the carnage laid out before us. We took a great risk attacking them with fewer numbers on our side, but as expected, the ensuing battle was nothing short of a massacre for the attacking mercenaries. It was nauseating. At this point, I want to be anywhere but here, anywhere but this bloodstained battlefield with hundreds of rotting corpses of men and women who worthlessly died for an ignoble cause.

 _"Do it... Kiryu... follow in Kazama Shintaro's footsteps... kill me... and become true Yakuza!"_

"...Kiryu? Kiryu!"

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Olga calling to me, who then said, "Y'alright? Y'look spaced out fer a moment there."

"I'm fine," I said, waving off her concern, "In any case, we ought to find their bodies for any evidence of a plot, and loot their equipment as well. It's shitty quality, but I reckon Erhart might have an idea on what to do with them. The metal weapons, especially."

"Aye, that boy's got a fine head on his shoulders," Olga affirmed.

I then asked Belarion, "Belarion, are there anymore attackers coming our way?"

"I do not believe so, since I did not see any other than these before they came," Said the Elf, "But if you wish, I can conduct another scouting run to ensure it stays that way."

I nodded at him, saying, "Do it. If there's more enemies coming, I'd rather we know about it and have time to prepare accordingly. Take David and the others with you for this."

The Elf nodded, and he was off, David and the others in tow.

"Olga, can I ask you to extract information from our captives?" I asked her, "And remember we need them alive; absolutely no torture, understand me?"

"Ya got it, peacock," Said Olga, "I'll make 'em spill their guts 'fore they croak."

...She's still into calling me that nickname, I see.

"You've picked a good crew," Remarked Erhart as he approached.

"Can't say I did the choosing; they simply decided to follow me where I go," I said to him.

"Even so, it seems you've got the talent for leadership," Said Erhart, "Not many people have the capability of assembling and commanding a talented crew all on their own."

"I suppose such people are a rarity," I stated, "So what will you do once we get the info we need?"

"Depends, I suppose," Erhart said, "Though we might have to kill them once they've served their purpose; we can't risk anyone knowing about our farming operation yet, at least for now."

Again, killing to prevent the spread of information. Quite frankly, I find it distasteful, but since I'm only a contracted mercenary of sorts, I can't exactly go overstepping my boundaries and go ordering Erhart to spare their lives. And as much as I hate to admit it, his words did have some sense.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm hoping they don't have to die for that.


	12. Plots Uncovered, Part II

**Chapter X: Plots Uncovered, Part II**

The city prison of Adenow, a dank, dark underground facility designed to house the scum of the earth like any prison, be it ordinary muggers, burglars and murderers, or those guilty of breaking the law enforced by the City Guard. In the past it was decrepit and dilapidated from lack of proper maintenance, full of man-made potholes dug carefully by intelligent prisoners who, under the noses of a previously lazy and lax prison guard, managed to escape to freedom through the tunnels they dug.

When Erhart began earning tidy profits from his sugar farm, the prison was one of the first of many dilapidated facilities he invested his money into; the tunnels were filled in, the prison was cleaned and renovated, and the prison guard completely transformed and properly disciplined. Now, the prison was structurally sound and well-maintained, and the prison guards diligently performed their duty - at least, as diligently as prison guards can be - of keeping the peace and watching the prisoners to ensure their compliance with prison law, so that they hatch no escape plans or cause any trouble.

The stone walls, ceiling and floors, once damp and covered in moss, were now spick and span, and covered in a layer of plaster that gave the walls a cleaner, neater look, free of any holes and flaws in the stonework that otherwise were prone to leakages from melting snow. The jail doors and bars, once rusted over in a ghastly brownish colour, were now replaced with new ones, made of a superior-quality steel coated with a special grease coating that protected them from rusting, devised by none other than the child genius Erhart.

And where the prison conditions were once unbearable for even the hardiest of criminals, now each cell was properly and routinely cleaned, each equipped with two clean - if albeit cheap - linen beds, toilets and a set of tables and chairs. Were anyone to analyse the furnishing of said prison cells, they would remark that such conditions were far better than what even a royal palace's prison had to offer.

In the deeper parts of the prison, however, was a row of specially-designated rooms armed with the proper arsenal of tools one would require to perform a lengthy interrogation; shackles, flogging posts, hot metal brands, whips, and scalpels, it was a dreamland for the most sadistic of torturers, and the bane of any prisoner who abhorred being subject to sadistic torture.

Up until now, these facilities have not seen use since the prison's renovation, but with the capture of Nikolaus and what little of his band survived, at least one of them was now housing the captured mercenary captain, now bound to a chair with metal chains restraining his ankles and hands. The captain sported a nasty bruise on his face, courtesy of a powerful punch from Kiryu.

As he awoke, a bucket of cold water was splashed against his face, serving to jolt him awake. As his eyes opened, he found himself bound, restrained and surrounded by armed guards, their swords pointed at him in a gesture that promised death should he attempt to retaliate.

 _My head... hurts like hell,_ Thought Nikolaus as he awoke, _If I remember correctly, I was fighting that white-haired monster of a woman bare-handed, and then out went the lights, so where am I now?_

Footsteps reached his ears, and he turned around to find himself face-to-face with a young boy, no older than ten, his face adopting a mask of harmlessness, though in his eyes, he sensed a tinge of madness and bloodthirsty glee within those dark blue windows of his, belying his bloodthirsty nature.

"I see you're awake," Said the boy, "Enjoy your nap?"

The boy's joke was not lost on him, and Nikolaus said, "Can't say I didn't; best nap I ever had, if I might say."

"Is that so?" Said the boy.

Footsteps could be heard echoing from the dimly-lit corridor, and they neared his position with every second. The door to his cell opened, and in strolled the familiar face of the white-haired brawler that Nikolaus had fought earlier, along with three other faces - one to a woman dressed in tacky clothing, one to a shaman, and one to a fair-faced man whose complexion was as fair as a woman's.

What caught his eye was the suit of armour that the white-haired woman wore; the armour's make was distinctly familiar, though it was artless in design and plain-looking, the only ornamentation being the silver trimming on the armour plates, but from what his eyes could gleam, there was the smallest of engravings on the breastplate, which resembled Orsi alphabet for 'B'. What surprised him even more was the humongous pelt of brown fur she wore as a surcoat on her shoulders; whatever beast it came from must have been twice the size of a Human being.

 _So she's wearing a suit of armour made by Bianca, of all people. Been years since I contracted her to forge my special hammer before I left for Alsace,_ Thought Nikolaus, _And how the hell did she get her hands on such a huge pelt of fur? Judging by the scars on her face, she'd probably had to have encountered a massive bear of sorts, but whether or not she actually killed such a beast is beyond my knowledge. Well, unless I ask her, of course._

"Are you capable of talking?" Asked Kiryu.

"I am, thank you very much," Said Nikolaus, "I'm guessing you want to ask me about my employer?"

"Damn straight," Said Kiryu, "Who hired you and ordered your attack on Adenow, and why?"

"Fairly simple, really; it's the Duke of Eastmere, Robert Stone," Said Nikolaus, "He hired me and my men to stage an attack on the estate of a Baroness Adalwolfa, for what reason I don't know about."

Erhart raised an eyebrow at that, saying, "You're awfully eager to spill out information like that. Mind if I ask why?"

Nikolaus gave a snort of derision at that, saying, "I and my boys were forced into carrying out his orders. We're a penal battalion, if you will, and I have no intention of dying for a man like Robert; he's guilty of all sorts of crimes, from tax embezzling, to extortion, and even having an affair with a mistress."

His interrogators nodded at that, and Erhart asked, "So you never held any loyalty towards him?"

Nikolaus scoffed.

"As if you can hold loyalty to such a despicable man," Said Nikolaus, "Anyway, you'll want to know this; bastard's camped a fair distance from Adenow, on a hill that borders Alsacian territory, and he's brought a personal army of over a thousand, all well-armed and professionally trained. You'll need an army to storm his position if you want to drive him out for good."

"But how do we know you're telling the truth and not feeding us lies?" Asked Belarion, "For all we know, you may only be showing us what emotions you want us to see, your apparent disgust for Robert being one thing."

"Never been one t'trust mercenaries n' all, definitely not you," Said Wilhelm, "If anything, y'seem more like a snake, one ready t'bite me n' poison me in m'sleep."

"Perhaps so, but right now, I've got nothing to gain from deceiving you," Said Nikolaus, "Neither do I have anything to gain from spilling the beans."

Motioning for one of the guards to release Nikolaus' hands and taking out a map and laying it out in front of Nikolaus, Erhart asked, "Where's the camp?"

Nikolaus pointed to the depiction of a lone hill, standing next to a densely forested area that stood inches from the border between Orso and Alsace, and Erhart knew just what hill he referred to.

"That's a fairly remote area, and no one's been here before, as far as I'm concerned," Said Erhart, "Hardly any patrols pass by there as well, perfect place to hide a large army like that."

Kiryu then said, "Since we know where he is now, that's where we attack. It's time the bastard's dealt with."

Erhart then said to the guards, "Guards, take him away and put him in a cell. We'll deal with him and the others later."

"Yes, my Lord!" They chorused, and they took Nikolaus away, leaving the interrogation chamber.

"I'll go get some additional mercenary help; won't do if these Alsacians see a noble lord's private army attacking them," Said Kiryu.

"Good idea," Said Erhart, "We'll meet about two leagues away from the camp, just a little close to the ravine."

IIOII

Granted, it wasn't difficult finding the man I was looking for, since he was in the place I expected him to be, though whether or not he'll accept my job offer is another matter, since that decision's gonna have to be left for him to make, though I'm hoping very much he'll accept it.

Pushing open the doors to the Stout Mountaineer, I found the place lively and bustling with activity and random banter, and scanning the premises for my target, I found him eating his meal with two others dressed in well-maintained Winter Steel armour, probably high-ranking lieutenants of the Chargers. Ignoring the glances some of the tavern's patrons gave my way, I quickly walked towards Morgan as he drank from a tankard, and having seen me approach, he greeted, "Ah, Kiryu! What a pleasant surprise to see you here. Have you come looking for me?"

The two other armoured people, one man and one woman, turned to look at the newcomer who gained the Lord Marshall's attention, and they glared at her for a minute - in the face of which I did not flinch.

"As a matter of fact, yes," I said, "I've come to enlist the aid of the Iron Bear's Chargers for a job I'd like you to take."

Raising an eyebrow at that, Morgan asked, "And what kind of job would that be?"

Without any fear or hesitance, I bluntly stated, "Attacking and dispersing an invading army from Alsace."

Morgan did not say anything for a few moments, and his lieutenants looked as if they were raring for a brawl in response to my request.

They seemed visibly surprised, however, when Morgan motioned for them to stop, and he said to me, "An Alsacian army, you say? And I'm guessing it's for whoever asked you to do this?"

"You could tell?" I said.

"It seemed really obvious," Said Morgan, "That, and you don't look the type to contract mercenary help. Take a seat, if you will, and explain your reasons behind contracting the services of my mercenary band; this won't take long, I assure you."

"I'm afraid I don't have the luxury of time," I said, "If we don't act now, that invading army will just move on to cause more damage, and I prefer we deal with them as soon as possible. I'm sorry if I sound impolite, but I really need your answer right now."

"Hey," Said one of the lieutenants, "You don't get to talk to our Lord Marshall like that, bitch."

Morgan, however, said to them, "You can stop there."

"But-"

Ignoring the lieutenant's protests, Morgan said to me, "Tell you what, Kiryu, I'll go and take your offer. In exchange, however, I want you to explain to me the circumstances behind your contracting my help along the way. Is that fine?"

"Aye, it is," I said, "And thank you."

Morgan then said to his lieutenants, "Gather up our boys; we'll march to where this woman's guiding us to for our new job."

"Y-Yes, sir," Said the lieutenants, and they quickly ran off to do their job.

"Now then," Said Morgan, "Where's the bastard noble that dares invade this country?"

IIOII

It wasn't long after that the entirety of the Chargers were gathered outside the gates of Adenow, with their Lord Marshall and his lieutenants at the head of the army. Judging by an overall headcount, there were no fewer than five hundred - less than half the number of Robert's army, but if the Chargers are as talented and skilled as they claim, according to rumour, the number difference won't matter much.

They seem every bit like a disciplined army, all soldiers standing rigidly in formation and heads being held high, each holding their weapons and maintaining their pose with practiced ease. Their armour and weaponry looked well-maintained and polished, devoid of any visible rust or grime or notches, and their fur cloaks did a marvelous job of keeping them warm in the cold winter, as indicated by the lack of uncontrollable shivering among the soldiers.

Their faces showed nothing but confidence and stoicism, a clear demonstration of the high morale and steely discipline instilled into their minds. Have to say, Morgan did a good job of training his crew. I otherwise expected a motley crew of undisciplined two-bit thugs, but this is better than I hoped for.

Mounted on a horse, I quickly rode up towards Morgan, who said, "Ah, good. You're here. I've gathered every last of my Chargers as you requested."

"Thanks for that," I said, "And as promised, I'll explain the circumstances while leading you to where my beneficiary's waiting for us; he's waiting for the help I promised him, after all."

"Lead the way, then," Gestured Morgan, and together we marched towards the campsite, where Erhart and the others will have already gathered, waiting for us.

I hope we can get this over with soon, though. There's no telling what may happen should Robert decide to hightail this to whoever higher-ups he's answering to.

And so we marched with eagerness towards the designated meeting point, the men eagerly anticipating the joy of the battle to come, and of the glory they'd be obtaining in the process. Already I could hear many brag about their supposedly superior skill to others, that they would proudly distinguish themselves and bring honour to the name of the Iron Bear's chargers.

And along the way, I upheld my end of the bargain, exchanging words with Morgan on the subject of Erhart's need for eliminating Robert's army without the use of the city guard or any soldiers of his family's private army. I also explained to him the reason for Erhart's wealth, primarily his sugar trade and the use of a sugar farm, though I was careful to omit facts on how much sugar was produced and from what; there's some cards I'd rather keep close at hand and not reveal too early.

"So unless my hearing's wrong, this Robert is invading this county for the purpose of disrupting the sugar trade of this Erhart von Einstein? And that you just repelled an attack by a group of three hundred ill-trained and ill-equipped men?"

"That's right, Morgan. Erhart's also worried that if Robert decides to proceed with an actual invasion, some of the civilians - especially those working at his farm - might be caught in the crossfire. More imperatively, he can't allow word of his sugar farm's location or operation to be leaked, or it'll cause a whole slew of problems for him."

"I suppose I can now understand the need for this secrecy. Do tell me, though, is this Robert actually aware of the sugar farm itself?"

"If I had to haphazard a guess, no. We just interrogated the captain of the penal battalion we captured, and he said only that Robert ordered an attack on Adenow for no apparent reason, so I'm guessing Robert's in the dark about our actual source of sugar."

And not long after, we arrived at the meeting site, where I already saw Erhart, Wilhelm, Belarion, Olga and her goons, all waiting for us outside of a single tent as they waved towards us, beckoning our attention.

The tent itself seemed rather sturdy, its flaps secured to the ground though ropes tied to heavy rocks in case of strong winds. Speaking of which, the winds had started picking up, and I could already feel the cold winds stinging my face.

"Good to see you have made it, and with the aid you promised," Said Erhart, "Though I didn't expect you to get this many people. By the way, who's their leader?"

"That would be me, good sir," Said Morgan as he dismounted from his horse, "I'm Lord Marshall Morgan Wolfgang, leader of the Iron Bear's Chargers. You may call me Eisenbär, if wish."

"Eisenbär? As in, _the_ Eisenbär?" Asked Erhart, seemingly in disbelief.

"The one and only," Said Morgan, a slight smirk crossing his lips, "Are you that surprised that I and my Chargers are here?"

"Yes, actually," Said Erhart, who turned to face me, "You really exceeded my expectations, Kiryu; I didn't expect the entirety of the Iron Bear's Chargers to be here, much less the Iron Bear himself."

"She did help me with an errant ex-Charger of mine, I'm merely returning the favour," Said Morgan, who gave a glance at Olga, the woman turning to face away.

"In any case, shall we head inside the tent? We can discuss our next course of action there," Said Erhart, beckoning towards the tent.

"Then let us do so," Said Morgan.

IIOII

We were all gathered in the tent, around a table that held a map outlining the geography of Orso with two circles, one denoting our position, the other showing that of Robert's army. On the map were small tokens, representing the military assets that both armies possessed, with those representing Robert's army clustered on a hill, and those representing the Chargers arranged on our location.

And currently, about a quarter of our tokens were positioned in the nearby forest, which bordered the hill Robert's army camped on. The other three quarters were positioned next to the hill, as if they were poised for a frontal assault on the fortified position.

"So what we shall do here is deliberately mount a direct assault on the hill, and that will serve to draw his attention," Said Belarion, "And when he does take the bait, we'll take the chance to extend and close our ranks around Robert's men, enclosing his entourage in a pocket from which he cannot escape."

"And while that's happening, a quarter will circle around through the nearby forest and charge into the campsite," Said Erhart, "After which, they will plant our flags around it."

"A sure way to sap the enemy's morale, should it succeed," Noted Morgan, "I trust you've studied the enemy general's character?"

"Belarion? Wilhelm?" I asked the two.

"Aye," Nodded Wilhelm, "I went an' did a little scryin' spell on Robert's campsite, and believe me, bloody armleuchter's cocky as fuck. I saw a few o' his men protested 'gainst the attack, n' he jus' shot 'em down like they were total angeber! Not only that, he thinks jus' a thousand men's 'nough to make this job's easy as pie! Fucking cock-sucking cock of a noble..."

"I get your point, Wilhelm, we all do," I said, slightly exasperated, "Anyway, given that the general's that simple-minded, he'll definitely take the bait, hook, line and sinker."

"But we also need to make sure no one can escape and spill any word of this," Said Morgan, "If it does, there's no telling what the possible ramifications might be."

"It's fine, really," Said Olga, "Erhart's mom's goin' out on patrol, and wit' her patrollin' the border, ain't no one's gonna escape, unless they happen t'somehow bypass her and her entourage."

"Pardon the sudden question, but who is Erhart's mother, exactly?" Asked Belarion, "Is she particularly feared in these parts?"

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you this too, Erhart," I said to him, "Just who is she, exactly?"

"Well... suffice to say, she's known as the Savage Lioness," Said Erhart sheepishly, "Most who hear her title-"

"Wait, the Savage Lioness? The Savage Lioness Adalwolfa von Einstein?" Asked Morgan.

"That's what I said, Lord Marshall," Said Erhart.

Morgan said nothing for a moment, his eyes wide as saucers in that moment as his mind processed that tidbit of information. Seriously, just who is the Savage Lioness?

Then I saw Morgan break into a slight chuckle, then a few bouts of giggling, and now full-blown laughter, as if this whole subject's a damn joke to him. Is there something going on that I should know? Particularly regarding the identity of Erhart's mom?

Having calmed down, Morgan then said to Erhart, "To think your mother was Adalwolfa of all people. How the world is such a small place..."

"Excuse me, but just who is this Savage Lioness, really?" I asked, "Is there something I should know about her?"

"Um, long story short, she's a formidable ex-mercenary whose name instill's fear in the hearts of many, mercenary, knight and soldier alike," Explained Erhart, "Rumour has it that she was trained by a formidable mercenary decades ago, whose strength was unparalleled and unmatched by many across Orso, and that she inherited his strength. Some also say she is capable of besting an entire battalion's worth of knights with her brute strength and skill in the axe alone, though I think the last part's exaggerated slightly."

Only slightly, eh? Seems there's more to her than I thought. Guess I'll need to broaden my knowledge of the underworld soon enough, particularly regarding mercenaries.

"So I'm guessing that's the plan, then?" Said Belarion, bringing the conversation back on track, "But who will lead the ambushing force, though?"

"I'll do it," Volunteered Olga, "Me 'n my boys can lead the small force through the forest and jump 'em bastards 'fore they get the chance to croak. We're familiar wit' the forest's terrain, we can guide them Chargers through."

"Then it's settled," I said, "Time to teach an arrogant Duke a lesson in humility."


End file.
